Mercia
by Demi.T. Greca
Summary: Martha got a job in... another planet? Someone wants the Doctor dead. Will Martha be able to save him? What will happen next? Is the Doctor able to fight his dark side? does he want to? Mercia is just not his planet.
1. A job in another planet?

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who.**

**Author's note: All names and**** places are totally fictional. Any resemblance to real situations is only a coincidence. **

* * *

**A job in another planet?**

It was Monday. An ordinary, sunny Monday in Manhattan. Well, ordinary has a different meaning in U.N.I.T. Martha was checking some tests on a new, top secret, experiment.

"What do you think, Dr. Jones?" , General Johnson asked her.

"Well, I believe it's too soon to be enthusiastic about these results, but they are promising." She answered.

No sooner than a moment had she finished her line that a deafening sound was heard.

"Invasion. Invasion." A computerized voice was repeating. Martha looked at the General and they both run to the Control room.

"What's going on?" the General demanded to know.

"An alien spaceship is trying to enter our atmosphere, sir. We have less than an hour.", a man answered.

Suddenly, Martha's phone rang.

"Jack?" she answered.

"Martha, what's going? I have a …" Jack said but he was cut by the General.

"Dr. Jones, is it him?" he asked.

"No, sir. It's from Torchwood." She answered. "Jack, someone is trying to invade Earth. We may have less than an hour." Martha told Jack.

"Have you identified the spaceship?" Jack asked.

"No, not yet. It seems it's not in our database." She said.

"Hold on, a moment." Jack said and he was lost for a few minutes.

In the meanwhile, more spaceships appeared on U.N.I.T.' s radar.

"Jack…" Martha said while General Johnson was screaming at her to call Him.

"I got it, I got it , Martha. They are Mercians." Jack finally said.

"But this doesn't make any sense. Mercia is a peaceful planet, why on Earth would they…" Martha stopped for a moment. "Jack, I got to go." She said hanging up.

"try contact them." He said to the man in front of the monitor.

"Dr. Jones what are you doing?" the General asked.

"I don't think war is what they seek, sir." Martha answered.

"We are on. Good luck." Harry told her.

Martha looked at the monitor. She had never seen a Mercian before, but He had told her about them. The one on the screen had to be a male one. Human looking apes, Just like in the movie. Well, he looked more like a gorilla…

"Hello, Mercians. This is Dr. Martha Jones talking on behalf of Earth. What is the purpose of your approach?" she said.

The Mercian General said something in his language and then he said her name.

"I don't speak Mercian." She said desperate.

"Martha Jones?" the Mercian General repeated.

"Yes, that's me. Martha Jones." She said. It was the only thing they could ever discuss.

Suddenly he was lost from her sight and another man, an old one, appeared.

"At last, I am so glad I finally meet a child of time. I am blessed that it's you, Story teller." The old Mercian said in English.

_Thank God he speaks English!_ Martha thought for a moment. "Storyteller? Excuse me sir, I do not understand what you are talking about. What is the purpose of this invasion?" she tried to stay focus.

"You say you do not understand and yet you do. Born in the same year as those of the same age and yet a year older. Once you walked the Earth saving the Balance with your stories in a year humanity has forgotten. For that I will not proceed. We come in peace. One of our machines is broken and we need CO2. You seem to have plenty." The old Mercian said.

Martha sighted as everyone else. It wasn't a long time ago the planet had been invaded. They were still recovering.

"Sir," Martha said to the General. "I believe we should not deny. Imagine the benefits." She said.

"I do, Dr. Jones, but imagine the consequences. An alien spaceship above New York, Washington and other great cities." He said.

"we will say it was an experiment, of N.A.S.A." Martha said.

The General hesitated but he finally agreed.

"I'm calling, Harold Manville. No sooner than midnight." The General said and left.

Martha looked at the screen. The old Mercian was there.

"We give you permission to enter, but not before midnight." She told him.

"Thank you, Story teller. Your kindness will not be forgotten." He replied.

"May I ask your name?" Martha asked.

"I am Lord Hasam Kuun, the eldest of the Narayan tribe of Mercia and I will see you again, Martha Jones," he said and the screen went off.

That night hundreds of lights appeared in the sky above Washington, New York, London, Beijing and Tokyo. Millions of people were gathered to see N.A.S.A 's new experiment.

"If only they knew." Martha said sitting at her office in U.N.I.T.

* * *

A few days later the Mercians contact U.N.I.T. again. This time Lord Hasam Kuun was not alone. Eleven Mercians had joined him. The lords of the other tribes.

"We are grateful for your help. That day you saved more than a hundred Mercians. Electric storms can be really dangerous. That is why we, the Council of the Tribes, have decided to reward you." Lord Hasam Kuun said.

"Sir…" , General Manville said only to be corrected by Martha, "Lord" she whispered.

"My Lord, these are difficult days and no reward is more satisfying than our alliance." General Manville said.

"We are peaceful creatures, General Manville, that do not participate in wars. However in these difficult times, as you said, alliances should not be neglected. So you may consider us as your friends. Our gift to you will be knowledge." Another Lord said.

"In what way?" General Manville asked.

"We are willing to share our knowledge of the universe, medicine and technology with your people." The Lord sitting next to Hasam Kuun said.

Harold Manville greened from ear to ear. Alien technology. It was the dream of a lifetime.

"But…" Lord Hasam Kuun, said surprising him. "this will not be done unconditional."

"What do you want?" the General asked.

"The right person. Our knowledge will pass to you through the right mind." The Lord answered.

"And who would that person be?" General Manville asked.

"the one you call Martha Jones." Lord Hasam Kuun said surprising her.

"Martha Jones? Who is she?" the General said in an annoyed manner.

"That would be me, Sir." Martha said standing right next to him.

"Oh, the companion, if I remember right. Ok, how will it be done?" he asked the Council.

"Three human years will be needed. Only a small part of what we know will get to you for we are not sure if you are ready. Three years in Mercia. You have a week." One of the Lords said and they were lost.

Everyone was looking at Martha. They were expecting her to say something.

"Well, Dr. Jones?" Manville said.

"I do not know, sir. It is not easy. I have family here, friends, I can't just leave them. what am I suppose to tell them?" Martha said.

"That will be our job." General Johnson answered.

"It is not an easy decision. It's another planet we are talking about! Aliens!" Martha said.

"I thought you liked Aliens." Harry made a joke. Bad timing.

"Dr. Jones you do not understand. You do not have to make a choice. It's an order. Get ready, you are going across the universe." General Manville said and left the room.

"There was a time I liked that line." She whispered.

* * *

It was her birthday. Normally she would have a party, or just go out with friends. She would get a family phone call since she was in another continent, and maybe a call from Someone far, far away.

But this time it was different. Her things were send somewhere in the North Pole, her family thought she was sent to Alaska and she was sitting in a narrow room, in an alien spaceship traveling to a foreign planet.

Mercia.

Only now, she was alone.

* * *

_I hope you liked the beginning because there are a lot of chapters to come…. Please review._


	2. Reaching Mercia

**Reaching Mercia**

She was asleep when someone knocked on her door. For a moment she thought she was back at her home and Tish was knocking on her door to tell her something she thought important.

She opened her eyes. Her sight was still blurry. Her room was made of pure metal. TARDIS? Could it really be? She had that feeling of traveling through time and space. His voice was going to be heard any minute now.

"Martha Jones?" it was not him. It was a deep, harsh voice. Mercians.

She got up. She was in the Mercian armada heading to their planet. Her tears had dried on her cheeks. She had been crying until she sleep took her away. She dreamt of Him. She saw him rescuing her.

The Mercian knocked again. She took a deep breath and opened the door. He was short, for her human standards. He barely reached her chest and looked more like a chimp than an alien.

He waved so she would follow him. Another one took her luggage. He led her to the control room. There were no windows in the ship so she didn't know where they were.

"Excuse me for you treatment and my English, Dr. Jones, but we were trained no more than a week to escort you here." A tall Mercian said rising from his seat. He was taller than her, muscular, a hybrid between human and ape.

"You speak English." She said surprised.

"Yes, I do. There was no need for this language before but since you are living with us we are trying our best." He said and scanned her with his eyes. She should be as much an alien to him as he was to her. He wore leather clothes, like a suit, black boots and something that looked like a red cape.

"May I ask who you are?" Martha said.

"I am Prince Akon, of the Narayan tribe." He answered.

"A Prince?" Martha said surprised.

"It's title of no significance. I have read about your planet. Nothing like your Princes." He said.

"Oh, alright." Martha said.

"Dr. Martha Jones. I want you to put these on." He said and gave her a pair of earring and a necklace.

"What are they doing?" Martha asked. After all these years she knew they were not meant for beauty.

"These," the Prince said and showed her the earrings "are translators. So you can understand what we are saying." Prince Akon answered.

"What about the necklace?' She asked.

"It is an atmospheric adaptor. You were not made to live in Mercia. You cannot survive in our atmosphere." The Prince said.

"Really Important. Got it." She said and put it on.

"Follow me, now please." He said and walked away from the Control room, through a wide corridor.

"Where are we going?" Martha asked.

The Prince did not respond. A moment later a light appeared at the end of the corridor. That's where they were going.

"Dr. Martha Jones, welcome to Mercia."

He said and led her out of the ship.

Martha closed her eyes by instinct. It was very bright outside. She used her hand to make some shade. Everything was so blurry. It was not easy to get used to this light while she could barely see her nose inside the ship.

After a few minutes her vision was restored. She looked around, stunned. Buildings on wonderful, tiny, white rocks. It was like the city was flying. Waterfalls in every gaze, they seem to fall into nowhere.

She found the courage and looked down. Hundreds of meters down there were tropical forests and birds, with weird voices her ear was not used in.

"That's …breathtaking." She said.

"I hope this means something very good." The Prince said.

"It means the Storyteller really likes our city." an aged voice said.

Martha looked ahead. An old Mercian, in a red cloak, was approaching them. She recognized him at once. It was Lord Hasam Kuun.

"Lord Hasam Kuun?" Martha said.

"Welcome to Narayan, child of time. I see you like our city." The lord said.

"Well, it is a pleasant surprise." She said.

"I am glad. Now, come, you must be tired."

The Lord said and took her at his home. A large house made of something that resembled wood. Everything seemed so warm in there. Wooden walls, floors, furniture of leather, big round windows like those in submarines. Beautiful.

"Kale, would you make us some, mont, please?" Hasam Kuun asked a short chimp.

"You will like it, it tastes like your tea." The Lord explained.

A few moments of silence past until the, 'mont', was served. The Lord took the cap with both his hands, took a zip, and then he drank from the opposite side. Martha did the same.

The Eldest of the Narayan, took a moment to scan Martha and then he smiled.

"I am so blest to meet you, Story teller." He said.

"Why do you call me that way? With all do respect." She said.

"Because, it's the name history gave you. To all of you, children of time. The Undead, The Seeker, The Lost, The Mother, The Follower and my, personal favourite, the Storyteller."

"But that year never existed, history, doesn't even know how to spell my name." Martha said taking another zip of that 'mont'. She liked it.

"Human history has overseen many things, Martha Jones. The history of the universe is being written here, in Mercia. The tribe of Edan has this duty. Every event that has happened in this universe since the dawn of time can be found in the palace of Edan." Lord Hasam Kuun said.

"You mean I can find Gallifrey and the War of Time?" Martha asked and the old Mercian's gaze became dark.

"It is something we wish we could burn but what is done cannot be undone. You can find everything." He answered.

"Lord Hasam Kuun, can I ask you a question?" she asked and he nodded.

"Why me?" She asked.

"Because, without knowing it, you saved more than your planet." He answered and headed to the window.

"If the Master had prevailed, Earth would be just the beginning. He would stop at nothing until he became what his title said. The Master… of universe. See, a small victory in battle…"

"… a great hit at war." Martha finished his line. The Lord smiled.

"You are very smart, Martha Jones, and very courageous. That's why you were picked by destiny." He said and looked at her. She was surprised.

"It's something it keeps knocking on His door and He keeps rejecting it. I believe we have the right human , now." Lord Hasam Kuun said and returned to his seat.

Martha looked even more confused.

"Do not try to understand, now. It will get to you someday. Let's go back to your training." He said and drank some, 'mont'.

"My training?" Martha said.

"Exactly. We, Narayans, are Atruses." The Lord said.

"What is that?" she asked him.

"An Atrus is something you would call, a doctor and a scientist. Through you we want to share some of our knowledge with earth." The lord said.

Martha wanted to ask why, but she thought it wouldn't be the wisest thing to do.

"You will work at Atrusan in a week. Until then, rest, explore, and I will always be here to answer your questions." Lord Hasam Kuun said and got up.

"Atrusan is a hospital?" Martha asked.

"It's more like a research and medical center." He said and clapped his hands once.

A female Mercian came out of nowhere. She was a little bit shorter than Martha, thin, with a sweet monkey face and a tale rapped around her waist.

"This is Fatima, of the Janmin tribe. She will be your assistant. Funny thing she was born a Janmin and she likes science more than books." Lord Hasam Kuun said and left the room.

Fatima approached Martha and gave her, her hand.

"I am so glad to work for you." Fatima said.

"No, you will work with me, and you will show me this place, because I have no idea." Martha said smiling at her.

"Yes, Atrus." Fatima said.

"Only, if you are not going to call me Martha, don't call me Atrus. It reminds me of a male name." Martha said.

"And how am I supposed to call you?" Fatima asked

"Martha…" she said but Fatima's horrified look made her change her answer.

"Doctor." Martha said, smiling.


	3. Never leave your glass unaddented

**Never leave your glass out of your sight. **

"Oh, no, come on! You big, stupid, piece of …." The Doctor said when a loud sound was heard from the TARDIS engines.

"I didn't mean it! You know me! I love you, my wonderful and bright girl." The Doctor said and another sound was heard.

"I mean it!" he said while searching for the problem. He was searching for the last two days. His white shirt, well, will never be white again. He felt he was going to be blinded and his messy hair had stuck on his skull.

"Why don't you help a little?" he screamed at his ship when she got grumpy. "Ok, Ok, I know you are suffering but I am the one who hasn't slept in two days!" he said and froze.

"That's it! Why didn't you tell me earlier?" he said and dived in a sea of cables.

There, under all that mess, a small light was about to go off.

"You need a new accelerator. It's been ages since you had a new one. You were right to be grumpy. Hold on, one last ride to Asteroid 13!" he said as he started pulling levers and pushing buttons.

A moment later he was in Asteroid 13. He ran outside covering his face.

He was in the middle of a desert, with a sandstorm going on and more than 50 degrees Celsius.

"I had forgotten what a bloody hell this place was." He said. He covered his head and moved forward.

A few moments later he found it. A small place with stolen ship equipment, drinks you wouldn't like to drink, clean as a stable and full of … criminals. Well not always, but that was the idea.

The Doctor entered it and cleared his shoulders off the dust. "It hasn't changed a bit." He said smiling. On his right was the bar, where half of the universe's criminals were sitting. Well, you couldn't call these ones criminals, more like goofy thieves. There were times even he was afraid to come to this place.

He took a moment to remember and then turned left.

"Do you have any accelerators like this one?" he asked in another language. The elephant boy probably didn't speak English.

'No, it's an x-3000, right?" the salesman asked.

"Right." The Doctor said.

"I haven't seen it years. I don't have a new one to give but Bush might be able to fix it." He said and showed him a blue man sitting in the corner.

"He won't be long; you may wait at the bar if you want." The salesman said and The Doctor nodded.

He took a seat at the bar and got lost at his thoughts. They were more like memories than thoughts, but…. They and the TARDIS were his only companions for a long time now. He had tried to find a new companion but he just couldn't.

He decided not to hurt another creature, again. No one should be willing to sacrifice themselves, especially for him.

He was fighting it, he could feel it returning. The darkness.

"Will you order something?" the bartender asked him. A guy with green blistered skin and black hair.

"No, thank you." The Doctor said.

"You will either order or leave the seat." The bartender said.

"Ok, how about some…" he took a moment to think. "Sentum. Do you have any?" he asked and the bartender nodded.

He went back to his thoughts. Maybe he needed a break. How about Calima? It was a nice planet, quite and he had plenty of friends there. Like Simus, or Achemar. No, they had died. Well he could visit them while they were still alive. He was A Time Lord after all.

But what would be the point in that?

He could go to Earth. Plenty of people there. "You have the biggest family in the world." The words were heard like a breeze in his ears. So many people and they all had someone else.

Maybe it was his fault?

"Your drink." The bartender said and left the glass in front of him.

"Help! Something is happening to him. Mac, answer me!" someone yelled.

The Doctor jumped off his seat and ran to the alien on the floor.

"Don't worry, I'll fix him." He said getting his screwdriver from his pocket.

"I am sure you will." His friend whispered smiling.

A moment later the alien was up, holding his head.

"Watch what you drink next time." The doctor said and returned to his seat.

He took a zip and then left it. "Perfect" he said disgusted.

"Sir! It's ready." The salesman yelled.

"Thanks for the drink. You are made to kill." He told the bartender while paying him.

"You can't imagine how right you are." The bartender replied as the Doctor walked away.

Mac, the guy who had passed out, and his friend, approached the bar.

"Well?" Mac asked the bartender.

"Everything went as planned." He answered.

"But he only took a zip."

"Do not worry, Idosh. It will do its Job. Before the Doctor reaches the door he will be dead and we will be rich." The bartender, Apple, said.

On the other side, the Doctor was paying for his accelerator. "Good as new." The salesman said.

"I hope so." The Doctor said.

"Oh, Bush is a genius, sir." The elephant looking guy said.

"I bet he is." The Doctor said and turned on his hills to leave.

Suddenly he felt dizzy.

"Sir, are you ok?" The salesman asked him.

"I feel a little… dizzy." He answered.

"But, your eyes, sir, are green. Are they supposed to be green? They were white when you came." The salesman said helping the Doctor.

"No, they are not. What the…?" his scream cut his phrase as he fell on his knees.

"You are definitely not alright." The salesman said and helped him stand on his feet.

The creature named Bush said something in a foreign language.

"Bush, you are a genius. You should go to Mercia. The Doctor will cure you. She did miracles with my mate Bush."

"I am the Doctor!" he screamed of pain.

"I thought she was a woman." The salesman said. Bush nodded.

"I don't know who you are, mate, but she will help you." The salesman said taking him to the door.

* * *

He went out in the desert again. His vision was blurry and his whole body was in pain.

He fought with the wind to stay in position trying to reach the TARDIS. _Never park far away from your destination._ He was thinking.

After what it seemed like a century he reached her. He fell on the floor as soon as he reached the console.

"Help me a little!" he screamed trying to reach the accelerators position. The TARDIS answered back.

"What do you mean you can't fight it? AAAAAAAAAAAAaaaa!" he screamed. "Are you afraid of getting hurt?" the Doctor yelled. TARDIS answered once more.

"If you break down we will get stuck in this bloody star forever. Good point." He said while letting himself fall in a mess of cables.

"Come on, it's only an inch." He said trying to replace the missing piece. He could hardly see and his hearts had gone crazy.

"A little longer… that's it!" He screamed. "Mercia!" he said and fell on his back, eyes shut, no breath.


	4. The Doctor of Mercia

**The Doctor of Mercia**

He woke up in a warm and soft bed. He opened his eyes, his vision was clear. He took a look around. Purple walls of Dashi, and a small skeleton of Tandum forming a round room. A round window right across the bed, holographic generators in each side.

He was in Mercia. In Narayan, if he was not mistaken. The TARDIS had found its destination. Clever girl.

Whatever that Salesman was saying, he was right in one thing. They had cured him. _Well, great thanks to all of them but it's time to go. Mercia is just not the place for me._

As he got up the door opened and a female Mercian got in. She was a Narayan no doubt. That red suit was telling it all. His Mercian were a little bit rusty, hopefully he wouldn't say anything stupid.

"You should go back to bed." The young Narayan said.

The Doctor did as instructed surprised that the girl spoke English.

"You speak English." He said.

"Yes, I do. It is an honour to speak her Majesty's Language." The girl answered as she turned on the holographic generator to check on his tests.

_Her Majesty? Queen Elisabeth reached Mercia? When did that happen? _

"I thought there were no Queens in Mercia." The Doctor said.

"There aren't." the Narayan replied.

Ok, now he was curious. Maybe he should stay and find out.

That thought flew away as soon as it came. Mercia just wasn't his planet. Especially, Edan. Narayan was a city he could stand but, Edan… was just a few miles away.

"Ok, thanks for treating me, I am fine now. I think I should go." He said but he received a killing look from the young Narayan.

"You are not going anywhere before she examines you." She said and turned the generator off.

"Who?" He asked but he received no answer.

The young Mercian turned the other generator on.

"But I am fine." He said.

"Barely. We have just suppressed it in order to buy us some time." She answered.

"What's your name?" The Doctor asked.

"I am Cur Tamahna Sah, of the tribe of Narayan." She answered.

"What, you are not an Atrus? Not even Sentah? I thought Cur meant help." The Doctor said.

"Exactly. Her majesty decided that a group like us could help running Atrusan, better. Now we can treat all the Mercians and people outside our planet, like you. In two year I can be a Sentah, but I want to be like her." She said like she was lost in a dream.

The Doctor was looking at her weird. Changes had been made in Mercia, but Mercians don't like changes. What was going on?

She turned the second generator off and pushed a button on her uniform.

"Now she will see you." Tamahna said.

"Who?" The Doctor asked.

"Her Majesty, the Doctor." She answered and the door opened.

* * *

When she walked in he couldn't believe his eyes. A doctor's white jacket, black leather boots, jeans, a white shirt, hair up, chocolate skin and the most bright smile in the world.

"Martha Jones?" The Doctor said surprised. He looked like his eyes were going to pop out of his head.

"Doctor!" she said and hugged him. She sat on the edge of his bed, taking his hand in hers.

"Oh, I am so happy to see you again. You can't imagine my shock when they brought you. I nearly had a heart attack. Thank God we suppressed it and brought you back. It was very aggressive." She kept talking and talking but he was lost. Martha Jones in Mercia? What the… What was going on in the universe? Her Majesty? Was he in a parallel world again?

"Martha, Martha, Martha, Martha!" he yelled trying to stop her.

"Sorry, I was just so worried. Oh my God, I thought I would lose you. When the diagram went flat I was waiting you to regenerate but when you didn't… I am just happy we brought you back." She said.

"Martha, why are you… How the… What are you doing in Mercia?" He finally asked.

"That's a long story. We will have plenty of time, trust me." She said.

"Whatever you say, your Majesty." He said playfully.

"I'm glad you got your spirit back, but don't call that way." She said and turned both generators on.

"Cur Tamahna?" Martha said, in a serious tone.

"Nothing has changed, your Majesty. It is attacking again." Tamahna said.

"Is it what we were afraid of?" Martha asked.

"Yes, your Majesty." The young Mercian answered.

"Then it's going to be really complicated. But there is nothing we can't do, now is it?" she said smiling at the young assistant.

The Doctor was watching silently. There was something really strange going on here.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"You have been infected by a powerful parasite. Even worse than the Sun, remember?" he said.

It was an experience he would happily forget.

"It's feeding on your dark thoughts, and I know you have plenty of them, while attacking your hearts. Might be a reason you did not regenerate." Martha said.

"How did this happen?" he asked.

"We believe you were attacked." Tamahna said.

"Attacked?" he said annoyed.

"This particular parasite was made by the Municons to be used at war. They were taken away by the 'Police', but we heard some of them were stolen last week, and admit you have a good bunch of enemies that would be glad to treat you a glass of this." Martha said.

"A glass?" he asked.

"It looks like a fluid. You can easily drink it." She answered.

"Asteroid 13. I stopped there to get a new accelerator. I took a … drink." He said.

"How much did you drink?" Martha asked him.

"Just a zip." He said and made a grimace of pain.

"It's starting again. Tamahna give him some thresmesone. We are going to operate him." Martha said leaving the room.

"What?" the Doctor screamed.

* * *

_Coming up next, the doctor's operation and his recovery at Martha's house in Mercia. What's going to happen between them after she saved his life… again? Why is the destiny chasing him?_


	5. Salvation

**Salvation**

The Doctor's body was teleported in the operation room. Once there, a blue cell closed over him leaving only his abdomen in sight. A moment later Martha Jones entered the room, wearing a white suit covering everything except her eyes.

She took a deep breath and approached the cell.

He was in it, she knew it.

She looked one of her assistants, and he pushed a button making the cell red.

With a movement of her hand, a young Atrus activated the laser, cutting the Doctor open.

_Hearts on stand by. _

_Liver on U.N.T_

_A small section around it, easy…_

_I'm in!_

_Come on Martha, you can do it. _

"Injection one." She said and an Atrus injected some kind of drug inside the cell.

_Moment of truth. Come on Doctor, one green line on the screen, and with a cut everything will be over. _

Martha was holding her breath waiting for the green line. One simple sign.

"Your Majesty, he is not responding." One of the Curs said.

"I must have miscalculated the dose. Inject again." She said surprising everyone.

"But your Majesty," one of the Atruses said.

"Do as I say, Can. After all ,if something goes wrong he will regenerate, I hope." Martha said.

Atrus Can injected again. No response.

"Call Dohr!" she yelled and a Cur ran out of the room.

A second later she returned with a tall, old, Narayan guy. Atrus Dohr, the mind reader, a gift very rare in their tribe.

The Mercian approached the cell and touched it.

Martha was looking at him like her life was depending on him. They didn't have much time.

When he opened his eyes he looked at her, confused.

"What is it? What is it Atrus Dohr?" she yelled surprising everyone. That wasn't common of her.

"He is in denial, your Majesty. His mind is shielded and he doesn't accept the cure." The old Atrus said.

"Is it the parasite?" she asked.

"A part of it maybe." He answered.

_Stupid Martha! Stupid! I__ should have called Dohr first. I knew that with the Doctor it was always a matter of mind. Now, he is dying and it's my fault. How am I going to get into his mind? _

"The TARDIS!" she said smiling.

"Atrus Sith, we must be transferred." She told to a Mercian guy outside the room.

"Where to, Doctor?" he asked.

"The operation must be finished in the TARDIS." She answered.

"It is too dangerous to teleport you in this stage." The Mercian answered.

"Teleport TARDIS in room 2, it is empty. Leave the rest on me." She said and faced her medical assistants.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we don't have much time, so I'm asking to do your best. We must go next door without risking his life. Am I clear?" she asked and all of them nodded.

The freehanded Curs activated the movement button of the cell while Martha jumped on it, not moving her hand which was holding the liver.

Moving slowly, they reached TARDIS and her special room of medicine.

"Tamahna, remember last week's exercise?" Martha asked, breathing heavily.

"Yes, Doctor." She answered.

"Can you repeat it?" Martha asked.

"If needed." The young Narayan said.

"Ok, get you hand in here, carefully." Martha said. Tamahna's hand reached the small section tool, releasing Martha's hand.

Martha took her gloves out and started running around the room connecting the cell with the TARDIS. A few moments later she stopped.

She looked at her team and said.

"You know the procedure; you did it long before me and will do it long after I'm gone. Whatever happens I want you to keep going." She told them and then looked at Tamahna.

"Cur Tamahna, you are in charge now. You know what to do. His life and mine depend on you. I know you will do it." She said and left the room.

She reached the Control room in less than a second.

She looked around searching for something.

"Hello, my girl. I'm so happy to see you again. I would be happier if it had happen under other conditions but..." her phrase was cut in half coming across with a small portal in the wall.

"Will you help me cure him?" she asked the ship and a second portal appeared.

She put her left index finger in one of them.

A weird sound was heard.

"Thank you, I am going to need a lot of luck." She said and put her other index finger in the second portal.

A wave of pain struck her and she passed out.

* * *

Martha woke up in a beach. It was a small beach, surrounded by rocks. The sky was almost purple, it was dusk.

She had never been here before. She took a look around. Not far away from her, stood a man in a blue suit and red trainers. The Doctor.

"Doctor!" she yelled and ran to him. He seemed lost in his own thoughts. How could that be? She was in his mind!

"Doctor. Doctor, what are you doing?" Martha said but he did not reply. A moment of silence past before his voice was heard.

"In this beach I lost love." He said staring the sea.

"Rose." She said.

"No, not just her. I lost what I believed in." he answered.

"Here, I realized I could never be loved. I loved a human and she loved the human in me. But I am not a human, I look like one." He added and paused.

"Actually, you look like us, but let's not make it a big deal." He said making Martha smile, but he became serious again.

"The first sign came when I was about to regenerate. She was terrified at the thought of changing my body." He said.

"You regenerated, when did that happen?" Martha asked.

"When we were fighting the Daleks .I stopped it though, for her sake. Before Rose I was full of hatred and anger. She changed me, she made me see love and that's why I was loyal to her. But in this beach…" he said biting his lower lip, "I saw she didn't love me, the Doctor, The Time Lord, but a cell. That's what bodies are to me, cells for single uses. She wanted one, I gave it to her." He said.

Martha looked at him. It must have been really difficult to see Rose with another man, even if it was his identical.

_At least he knows now what it means to be rejected. That's not a good time Martha Jones._Martha told to her self.

"No, you are right." The Doctor said looking at her.

Martha was surprised.

"You are in my mind, Martha, you can't hide anything from me." He said.

"But you can?" Martha teased him.

"Well, it is my mind, and even though TARDIS helped you in, I advise you to get out." He said turning his back on her.

"I am not going anywhere, mister. Ok, maybe Rose was shallow after all and couldn't see the whole… you. But that's how people are. We see three dimensions and deep inside we want a family. This is not a reason for you to kill yourself." Martha said standing in front of him.

The Doctor sighed.

"I am not blaming her. Deep inside I knew it could never work. I am blaming me for not feeling hurt." He said.

"What?" Martha asked surprised.

"When I saw Rose kissing my human self I didn't feel hurt or angry, I just felt empty. It was like emotions couldn't reach me anymore." He explained.

Martha was speechless.

"That's when I got I could never be loved." He said.

* * *

The scene around them changed in a blink of the eye. They were in a park, in London.

She recognized it. That's where they landed after the Daleks.

They stood in the middle of the cross path where she had seen him for the last time.

"It was here that I understood I will always be alone." He said.

The park was empty. Not a single living being was there.

Suddenly a voice was heard. "You have the biggest family in the world."

Martha looked around but she saw no one.

"I have the biggest family in world, and all of them have someone else. They have to. They can't stay with me forever." He said.

"You can't stay with them, Doctor. It is you who goes away." Martha said looking at him.

The Doctor looked her back, and the scene changed.

* * *

They were in Donna's house. They could see her, talking on the phone in her kitchen. His last memory of her.

"I destroyed her life." He said.

"What?" Martha said.

"For one shinny moment she was the most important woman in the universe. A human Time Lord. She had self confidence and she was excited. I erased it all." He said.

"But, Doctor, she would be dead if you hadn't." Martha said.

"Exactly, and it was my fault. Leaving her behind, sending my regeneration energy to my hand. A murderer was created and a human almost died." He said.

"The universe was saved and Donna Noble was written with golden letters in the books of universal history." She said reaching for his shoulder.

* * *

The scene changed again and they found themselves in the Daleks' armada.

"This is were I saw the truth." The Doctor said touching the floor. "This is where I saw what I was denying to see." He added.

"What do you mean, Doctor? What are you talking about?" Martha asked.

"This is where I realized, that I never changed, Martha Jones." He said facing her.

"I may not carry a gun, or use violence, but I am still … a murderer." He said.

"Doctor, what are you talking about?" Martha repeated, but he seemed lost again.

"I use people as guns. I take them and turn them into murderers. They are willing to kill for my sake. They are willing to sacrifice themselves." He paused and looked at her.

"You were ready to destroy a planet, your home planet, your family, your friends, your self, why?" he asked her.

"To save the universe." Martha answered.

"And what do you care about the Universe? Did you care about it when you were arranging Leo's 21st birthday party? Did you care about it when you saw a mad man taking off his tie in front of you? Did you care about it when John Smith smiled at your surprising face hearing his two hearts? Answer me, Martha Jones!" the Doctor yelled.

_No_. Martha thought.

"What changed?" he asked her.

"I met you." Martha said.

"Exactly. And I made you a murderer." He said.

"You made me believe in someone!" she yelled at him.

"You made me understand there are more important things than Leo's birthday party, that there are more worlds than ours out there and that we should take care of them, because we are not alone." She said catching his attention.

Pause. Silence. He seemed to gather his thoughts.

"But why should you? People were not meant to protect the universe. It is my job, keeping the balance. But I am alone, and I lost the measure. I lost them all, and that's my punishment." He said and sat on the floor.

"Ok, I had enough with your self pity. It's time for you to listen, because we don't have much time. First, you are not a murderer. The Time War was not your fault and you weren't the only on evolved.

You are not turning people into killing machines. You inspire them. You make them feel parts of a greater world; you make them feel like heroes, saviors. They would do anything to save your life because they know it is worth it and they would do anything to save the universe. It is the right thing to do. I am one of them." She said but was interrupted by the Doctor.

"Don't you understand, I've been walking on a blood line? A line made of dead bodies? So many people died because I wasn't there, because I couldn't save them." He said.

"You can't save everyone, Doctor." She replied.

"They wouldn't need saving if they hadn't met me!" he yelled.

"Oh, stop already. It was their will to sacrifice their life. For a better world! In my planet people do it without even knowing you exist! It's in our blood and you make it into an excuse to be alone! To run away from us all because you feel miserable! Well, I've got news for you, Doctor. We want you with us! Millions of people, planets, want you in their lives, so stop running away from them!" she yelled at him. She was really pissed off.

"But that's what I do, Martha! Don't you see? I run!" he yelled back. Things had gone wild.

"Then run back to life! Run back to me. I need you. I need to know you are there, that I can call you and just have a chat or even save the universe." Martha said calming down.

"Oh, Martha Jones, how much have I hurt you." He said with a look full of guilt. He approached her and touched her face.

"You walked the world for me, risking your life to save the Earth. You left your family behind. You became a maid to look after someone who didn't even remember you. But most of all, you loved me. I could see it from the first moment, the look in your eyes, your voice when you talked to me, your disappointment when I talked about Rose. But I couldn't love you; you were so magnificent and I couldn't love you. I was stuck with Rose. But I couldn't let you go either. You were my chance of salvation. Oh, Martha Jones, you deserved so much more…" he said caressing her cheek.

"I wouldn't change it for the world." She said touching his hand.

"What you showed me, what I lived… I wouldn't change it for the world. Because I loved you, Doctor, and I will always do, no matter what you do, how you feel or what colour your hair is. I will always be there for you." She said looking deep inside his eyes.

The Doctor was speechless. He wanted to turn around but he just couldn't take his eyes of off her. Her look, so honest, so sweet, full of love. No matter what he had done to her, she still loved him.

Maybe there was still hope.

Before she knew it ,he was hugging her tight.

* * *

_Writer's note: I hope you liked it. Chapter 6 is almost finished. _

_Who wants the Doctor dead? Is it all a part of a greater cospiracy or... _

_You'll find out! Don't forget t review! _


	6. Don't judge a book by it's cover

**Don't judge a book by its cover.**

The Doctor took a deep breath and his eyes went wide open. He tried to get up but he hit his head. Where was he?

He looked around and saw nothing but blue.

"What the…" he whispered. He could hear people talking and machines making noise but he couldn't see anything.

"Get me out! Get me out of here!" he yelled and reached for his screwdriver. Only there was no screwdriver. There were no clothes.

"What's going on?" he said aloud.

He could see shadows moving over his head. He could hear voices. One voice in particular. "Don't worry, Doctor, you'll be out in a minute." She said.

And he remembered.

The surgery, the talk…

He was in a recovery cell. He had seen one before but never on the inside.

"Uhm, Martha?" he said when the first beam of light stroke him.

"Martha, wait, no…" his phrase was cut in half when he faced the world like a newborn.

The cell was cut in half and inside there was The Doctor, naked, covered by a nasty pink, fluid.

"I always wanted to see a baby Time Lord." Martha said laughing.

"Very funny, Martha Jones, very funny. Now, turn around." He said trying to cover his body.

"Come on, now, seriously? I am a doctor you know." She said.

"Not my doctor." He said as she was turning her back on him.

"Since when did you become so shy?" she asked teasing him.

"What is this thing I am covered with?" he said avoiding answering her question.

"It is melca. A fluid used for fast recovery in difficult cases." Cur Tamahna answered.

"Well, done, Cur Tamahna. Would you do me the favour to explain my friend how he is going to get rid of it?" Martha asked Tamahna suppressing her laughter.

"Of course, your Majesty. Melca must stay on the patient's body until it is absorbed. In case the patient wakes up before this happens it must be removed immediately. This happens in two steps. First, the patient's body must be covered by leafs of Dashi until the colour is gone. Second, to remove the second layer the patient must be bathed in Ash'meha." Tamahna explained.

"What's Ash'meha?" he asked only to remember a few moments later. "Oh, no. No, no, no, no. Martha?" The Doctor said.

"Normally, Melca would have been absorbed by your body by now. The problem is we double-dosed you, because you had a death wish, so … good luck with the unicorn's urine." She said smiling and left the room.

"Martha? Martha. Martha!" the Doctor yelled as the doors were closing.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

The suns of Mercia were changing positions. The yellow sun was setting and the orange one was rising. Melcoupia and Melcoupin, in Mercian. It was the planet's single hour of dark. One hour of dark in which you could see the whole universe just by sitting next to the window but you couldn't even distinguish your own hand.

"You, idiots!" a voice was heard through the forest of Hublis, miles under Narayan, in the planet's heart.

"But we did what you asked us, boss", a creepy, male voice replied.

"I said , lead him to Narayan, alive! And that was two years ago!" the old Mercian screamed.

"He keeps moving, boss. We had a really hard time searching for him." Another voice was heard. This one was deep and loud.

"Do you think I give a damn? I spared your pathetic lives when you tried to steal the Eye of Ca'an and I asked one tiny thing. Make the Doctor come to Narayan. Did you do that?" the old man asked.

"No." a third voice, said.

"I can't hear you, Idosh." The boss said.

"No, my lord." Idosh said louder.

"What did you do, instead, Mac?" the old Mercian asked.

"We nearly killed him." Mac answered receiving a vicious hit by the old man.

"Exactly, you fool!" the old man yelled.

"But, but we thought, we wanted him dead. Why would we want him alive?" Apple asked.

"That's none of your business. Destiny has its ways. Oh, he'll die. Yeah, this Time Lord has completed his circle. There is only one thing left for him to do. When it's done there will be no reason for him to stay in this world. And then, my stupid puppets, a new era will begin, full of glory." The Mercian said.

"And wealth." Apple added receiving a hit like Mac.

A beam of light danced on Martha's face. For a few moments she fought to stay asleep but the sun had already won.

She opened her eyes and yawned. She had spent the night next to the Doctor.

Night? Well, an hour could not be called night but Melcoupin was something she just could not get used to.

Her eyes closed again. She was so tired. The previous day she had stayed up for twenty-four hours, so –to- speak. It was the Mercian day of swapping hours.

_Speaking of__, it should be dark as night in here. _She thought.

Her eyes went wide open.

"Doctor?" she yelled seeing the empty bed.

"I am here, Martha." He said.

Martha turned around and smiled.

He was standing by the window, dressed in his favourite blue suit and red trainers.

"You know it is supposed to be sleeping time. This window should be covered." Martha said her arms in front of her chest.

"Well, I always thought this day and night game stupid." He said smiling at her.

She smiled back and joined him.

"I see you got your clothes back." She said teasing him.

"Well, after they covered me like a bird and forced me in a unicorn's toilet, from which I don't remember a thing." He said rubbing the back of his head.

"You passed out. You should be thanking me you know, it could leave you some pretty nasty burns if it hadn't been removed properly." Martha said.

"Come on; don't tell you didn't enjoy it. Did you said I passed out?" he asked her out of nowhere.

"Yes, you did. It was very difficult surgery; you must have been really tired." She answered.

"yeah." He replied staring at the ceiling. "Well, not as much as you. You've been sleeping for the last… four hours." He said laughing.

"Well it was Omaha, yesterday." She said.

"They haven't changed the name yet. Sometimes it makes me wonder." He said to himself.

"Wait, you mean you have been awake for the last four hours? Why didn't you wake me up? We must…"

"Martha, relax." The Doctor said interrupting her while resting his hands on her shoulders.

She looked at him. There was something in his eyes.

"Tamahna had me tested, even though I protested. You would think they would be afraid of a sonic screwdriver but their loyalty to their Majesty is stronger." He said and smiled.

Martha smiled back, shyly.

"I am perfectly fine." He said reassuring her.

"Shall I believe you?" she said playfully. The Doctor nodded.

For a moment they where speechless.

Neither of them wanted to speak.

Where there right words to say?

What feelings were to be expressed by them?

Anger? Sorrow? Faith? Joy? Happiness? Love?

"Melcoupia and Melcoupin." The Doctor said. Martha knew that look. It was always followed by a story long forgotten, she definitely didn't know, said to impress her and give her a message.

"Do you know what they mean?" the Doctor asked her.

"Enlighten me." She said taking a dream look while leaning against the wall.

"Melcoupia means light, joy, happiness and Melcoupin means passion, excitement, mystery."

"So different and yet so alike." Martha commented.

"Indeed. There is a story about these suns. A story Mercians claim, it is so old as the universe itself." He said and stretched his arm towards the window.

"Do you see that? That tiny, barely visible blue line rising behind the Narayan buildings?" the Doctor asked her.

"Yeah." She answered.

"It is Albatron, the first and only palace of Mercia. It was named after the first King, Albatron of Myst." He said and paused.

"Albatron had a daughter, whose name I am sure it is written in one of the billions books Edan has, but the legend gave her another name, Melcoupia.

It is said that she was so beautiful that the stars were losing their light at her sight, and she was so brilliant and clever that no Mercian could argue with her.

One did, his name is nowhere to be found but the legend did not forget him." The Doctor said.

"Melcoupin." Martha added. The Doctor nodded and continued.

"When the War of Chaos began, Melcoupin was sent in battle.

Melcoupia saw a dream where Melcoupin was sent in exile and destroyed Mercia on the enemy's side.

Afraid that the dream might come true she dressed as a soldier and followed him in battle.

When Albatron found it out he sent a Mercian to kill Melcoupin and bring his daughter back.

But he made a mistake, and killed the Princess who wore a soldier's suit.

Mad of his loss, Melcoupin killed more than a hundred soldiers before killing himself over his lover's body.

It is said that the Universe felt petty for them and turned them into stars. Melcoupia, the bright sun of Joy and happiness and Melcoupin, the ever burning sun in the flames of battle and passion.

They are always trying to reach each other, but every time they seem to succeed, they get apart again by Albatron's spirit that leaves in the heart of this planet.

They can never be together." He said sad, looking at the burning star.

"I guess the story never changes, no matter how far in space you go." Martha said looking at him lost in her own thoughts.

"I guess, but it is remarkable. I know the reasons this happens, laws of physics, mechanics and all ,but I stand here and I can see the story before my eyes. I see the straggle, the anguish in these suns. The sky seems sweeter in those few seconds they stand side by side. It's… breathtaking." He said and looked at Martha.

They stayed that way for a few seconds.

Just looking each other, no words.

Suddenly the Doctor jumped off his place and headed for the door.

"Ok, enough with Mercian fairytales, it's time we went home." He said opening the door.

"What do you mean?" Martha asked surprised by his behaviour.

"You are not supposed to be here, and I am supposed to be in TARDIS. So, I am taking you back to your mother, and then I am off my way." He said smiling.

"You are going nowhere, mister. Your recovery has not been completed." Martha said taking that doctor look of hers.

"Oh, come on now, I am perfectly fine. I can walk, run, jump and even altering the polarity of the energy generators of this city. However, I won't do it because we would be in big troubles." He said grinning.

"That thing we got off of you is highly toxic even for you. You need to relax and receive your drugs tactically or else…" Martha warned him.

"But I've got TARDIS, remember?" he said.

"The TARDIS agrees with me. She can't cure you and you must stay here for at least two weeks." Martha said taking the look of a victor.

"She may be grumpy but she will obey me, at last. Come with me, Martha." He said stretching his hand towards her.

"Oh, I'm coming, only to show you we are not kidding." She said and took his hand.

They ran to the Atrusan's basement, where the TARDIS was.

"Happy to see me again?' he said to his ship and tried to open the door.

Only the door did not open.

"Come on, now." He said giving it another try.

"I told you so." Martha said triumphant.

"Of course! The key!" he said and got his key out but it was of no use.

"Do you want to try mine as well?" Martha teased him.

"Ok, since you conspired against me. What do you want?" he asked defeated.

"As I told you, you must stay here for at least two weeks." Martha answered.

"Oh, I am not staying in this bloody Mercian hospital another minute even if it means I have to jump off a cliff." He said

"Ok, then how about my place? Are you willing to stay there and get your medicines?" Martha offered.

The Doctor thought about it. He was curious about Martha's job there and he was sure something weird was going on. Well, since the TARDIS denied him access…

"Ok, your place, one week." He said.

"One and a half." Martha said.

"Deal." He said and they shook their hands.


	7. Just relax

**Just relax.**

Martha and the Doctor teleported to Martha's house.

It was a big, spherical, wooden house, with a green 'skeleton' for support. There were big round windows on the wall and a stair leading to another level. Some kind of attic.

"So what do you think? Do you like it?" Martha asked seeing the Doctor surprised.

The Doctor looked at her and then took a look around. It was a Mercian building, nonetheless but Martha had put her sign all around it.

Furry, white carpets, a red sofa, weird kind of lamps, paintings… and a fireplace!

"You persuaded them to put you a fireplace?" The Doctor said surprised.

"Well," Martha said smiling.

"That's brilliant, just brilliant. You took a Mercian cell and transformed it into a house! Sometimes I think TARDIS needs a little bit decoration." He said looking at the ceiling smiling.

"Does this mean you like my place?" Martha said laughing.

"Oh, it's good." He said looking at her.

"Good, because you're staying here for the next two weeks." Martha said.

"One and a half!" the Doctor yelled making her laugh.

"Ok, one and a half." Martha said and looked on her left. Fatima was coming

"Fatima! Where were you? I didn't see you in Atrusan, today." Martha told her assistant.

"I preferred to stay home, your Majesty, there were a lot that had to been done." Fatima said.

"Ok, but you shouldn't stay back at your training." Martha advised the young Mercian.

"Yes, your Majesty." Fatima said looking at the Doctor.

"Oh, I didn't introduced you. Doctor this is Fatima, my assistant, Fatima, the Doctor." Martha said.

"Nice to meet you, Fatima." The Doctor said shaking the young Mercian's hand.

"Me too, I've heard so much about you." Fatima said.

"Really? Like what?" the Doctor asked looking at Martha.

Martha looked at Fatima and the young girl smiled.

"that you are a Time Lord basically." She answered.

"Fatima, would you please get the Doctor some Melca?" Martha said. Fatima nodded and left the room.

"Melca?" the Doctor yelled disgust.

"Don't worry, Doctor, I am not going to cover you with it. It is also a medicine. You are going to drink it." Martha said.

"Oh, now I'm relaxed." The Doctor said and sat on the sofa before the fireplace.

Martha joined him.

"So, what have you been doing for the past two years?" Martha asked smiling.

"Oh, nothing exciting, really. You know, I fought a few aliens, I saved the world once or twice, I met Alexander the Great…" he said dully.

"You met Alexander the Great?" Martha yelled.

"Well, yeah, I missed him and thought to pay a visit." He said.

"You know Alexander the Great?" Martha said excited.

"Yes. Well, how did you ended up here?" the Doctor asked.

"You never told me you knew Alexander the Great!" Martha said.

"You never asked. Does Unit know you are here?" the Doctor asked her.

"Yeah. Well how is he? I mean is he what historians describe?" Martha asked

"They know you are here? You mean they let you come? Did they force you?"

"Was he really as smart as they say?" Martha asked.

"Why would they make you come here?" the Doctor wondered.

"Don't tell me you helped him build his empire." Martha said.

"What?" the Doctor asked lost in his thoughts.

Martha looked at him. He hadn't heard a word.

"Doctor, your medicine." Fatima said coming out of nowhere. The Doctor took the glass disgust.

"I am sorry to ask, but is it common for humans to communicate talking about different things?' Fatima asked.

"Excuse me?" the Doctor said not understanding the question.

"I was watching you and I wondered if it is another habit of your planet." Fatima told Martha. The young doctor smiled.

"No, Fatima. I guess we've missed so many things that we tried to cover it in a minute." Martha said smiling.

"I guess." The Doctor agreed.

Martha looked at him. Oh, she had missed him so much. There were so many things she wanted to ask.

"Fatima, that would be all for today. You may go home." Martha said.

"As you wish, your Majesty." Fatima said and left the room.

Martha watched the young girl walking away until she was lost.

She turned her look on the Doctor who was looking at his glass like it was the most dangerous creature in the world.

"Come on then, drink it. Bottoms up." She told him.

The Doctor looked at her asking for mercy. The young doctor laughed.

"Oh come on Doctor, you are 900 years old, don't act like a child." She said.

The doctor closed his eyes and nose and drank his medicine at once.

"Disgusting." He said putting his glass on the table. "What you said hurt more." He added.

"What did I say?" Martha asked.

"900 years old? You make me sound like an old man." The Doctor said hurt.

"Oh, you are pretty handsome, for your age." Martha said laughing and messed up his hair a little.

For a moment they were just a breath apart. Their eyes met. Words just missed them. So many feelings, so many things.

"So…, you didn't answer, how did you come here?" The Doctor asked standing up.

Martha resumed her place and answered.

"Two years ago the Mercians tried to enter the Earth's atmosphere."

"What? A Mercian invasion?" the Doctor yelled surprised.

"No, false alarm. They said they wanted some CO2 for some kind of machines." Martha continued.

"Energy generators, they use CO2 to produce energy, which does not make any sense since they don't much of it in their planet." The Doctor said.

"Anyway, we let them clean big cities like New York, London, and Beijing"

"Mercians cleaned your air?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes, walking around Manhattan is like walking in the countryside. Well, not for long but…"

"What happened next? How did you come?" the Doctor interrupted her.

"I spoke with an elder, a Lord of the Narayan." Martha said.

"Tall, white, red cloak with the face of a gorilla?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes." Martha replied."

"Hasam Kuun. What did he want with you?" the Doctor asked. Now he was getting very curious. He knew where ever that old goat put his finger it wasn't for a good purpose.

"He knew about the Year That Never Was. He was calling me, Storyteller, he seemed really excited to meet me. Even now I don't understand the reason why." Martha said.

"Oh, Lord Kuun is a very arrogant and vain man, Martha. I am sure he is happy just that the Historians of Edan wrote he met a child of time." He looked at her.

"On the other hand who wouldn't want to meet a hero?" the Doctor said and grinned.

"Doctor." Martha said looking at him.

"Ok, go on." The Doctor said and joined her on the sofa.

"He said he wanted to thank us for helping his people so we made an alliance with them and he said they would share their knowledge with us." Martha continued.

"Same, old Mercians. They always think themselves as the cultural heroes of universe!" The Doctor said annoyed. "But why you?" he asked Martha.

"It was their condition. They said the knowledge had to be passed down through the right person. He chose me." Martha said.

"Well, of all the humans in Unit you were definitely the most suitable. And you just came here? You left your family and friends and just … traveled across the universe?" The Doctor asked her.

"I had no choice, I had to. I didn't like it at first but when I arrived… It was the first impression that made it all. After two years I have get used to it." She said.

"Oh, I can't imagine Francine's face when you told her." The Doctor said laughing.

"Oh, she doesn't know. She thinks I am in Alaska." Martha said.

"Good for her." The Doctor said.

"I'll visit them in two weeks. I'm going home for Christmas." Martha said.

"What? Really? How? Don't tell me you use teleportation." The Doctor said excited.

"It was a little bit weird at first, but I got used to it." Martha said smiling.

"So you basically work here and you go to Earth for holidays? This sounds weird even for me." The Doctor said messing up his hair.

"That's a surprise." Martha said.

"Why you, though? Sure he wanted to meet a child of time, all that crap of destiny but there must be something I'm missing." The Doctor said.

"Stop worrying, Doctor. I stopped thinking about it a long time ago. I am alive and a have an interesting life here. Another year and I'll go back home." She said and got up.

"Would you like some, 'mont'?" she asked him.

"Don't tell me you drink that thing." The Doctor said.

"It tastes like tea, you know." Martha said.

"Not to me. Do you have any … Jacum?" the Doctor asked.

"No, but I have some chocolate. I brought the last time I went home." Martha said.

"Even better." The Doctor said and Martha left the room for a while.

The Doctor got up and stood by the window.

It was getting dark. Melcoupia was setting. Mercia's single hour of darkness.

He walked around the living room. There was a desk in the corner. Its surface full of books and notes. He read some. All about medicine and science. A few about history. A book called, "The Anatomy of a Time Lord."

He took a look at her bookcase. Pictures of her family, friends, one of Jack's and… Oh, one of him.

"How did this came here?" the Doctor wondered.

It was a picture of him and Martha, smiling at the photographer, hugged.

He remembered that day. It was many years ago. Back in 1969. They were actually happy that day.

"It didn't take long, did it? Here's your hot chocolate." Martha said entering the room. The Doctor left the picture back at its place and sat on the sofa.

"Thank you, your Majesty" he said taking the cup.

"Doctor! Don't call me that way, I hate it." Martha said.

"Well, everyone calls you that way, your Majesty the Doctor." He said teasing her.

"I can't stop them, so I stopped trying." Martha said and took a zip of her mont.

"Why are they calling you that way?" he asked her.

"Aren't you going to tell me anything? I've talked enough. I am sure you have many interesting things to say." Martha said.

"Well, maybe. But I think this is interesting and I want to know why." He said.

"Well, and I want to know what you've been doing these last two years." Martha said. She knew what he was doing. He was avoiding talking about him in case she talked about the incident in the surgery. But that was not going to happen. He needed to talk to someone to get rid of those dark thoughts and he was going to do it willingly or not.

"Ok, I'll tell you if you tell me why are they calling you , your Majesty." The Doctor said.

"Promise?" Martha asked him.

"To my beating hearts." He said. Martha didn't like this but she took the risk.

"When I came here, Atrusan was only treating Narayan patients and a few Edan or Janmin. One day they brought a kid of the Humbles. The Atruses refused to treat him and so I did it. That's when I learned that Humbles were treated pretty much as slaves, Gemmins as savages and Janmins as stupid. I asked Fatima to take me to their cities.

The Humbles speak a different dialect than the other Mercians. Those who stay at the heart of the planet are starving, they die of common diseases that don't exist up here, they don't know how to read or write. Those who leave become slaves in wealthy houses or ships. Gemmins are farmers, they are hidding in the forests supplying the cities with food, wood, whatever you can think and yet they are not considered equals. Fatima is Janmin, people of arts and books. However she is a brilliant scientist and yet in Atrusan they treat her like she's stupid." Martha said.

"There is no such thing as a perfect world Martha. No matter if it is called Africa, India or Gemmin, it exists in every planet." The Doctor said.

"Well, I couldn't just sit back and watch. I told to the Janmins and I challenged them to create a writing system for the Humbles. I showed them some basic hygiene rules and I advised the Gemmins to come to the cities once and a while and make their lords to speak up for them." Martha said surprising the Doctor in every word.

"What about the Curs? You made them." The Doctor said.

"Well, there are not many Atruses and they just won't look at patients who are not dying. So I gave them training doctors. I must say I am proud of myself. There is not a patient that will come to Atrusan and won't be checked." Martha said smiling.

"That's my girl." The Doctor said grinning. "It takes a lot of gut to change Mercia. So, The Council made you a Queen." The Doctor added.

"Not a Queen. A Doctor. Hasam Kuun made me The Doctor of Mercia." Martha said.

"Doctor? There is not such a title. Oh! They made it just for you. Because you are so special, the first of your kind. Finally, I'm starting to understand a few things." The Doctor said.

"What is it?" Martha asked.

"I don't know yet, but I'll find out." The Doctor said smiling.

"So, I told you. Now it's your turn." Martha said and the Doctor kept his part of the deal, telling her about his trips.

* * *

"And so Alexander took Babylon." The Doctor said.

"You mean you did." Martha said.

"Well, let's not change history. I just told him what to do. He was a very smart guy. Not every man would understand my insane plan." The Doctor said and Martha laughed.

She would try again and again for the past two hours to make him talk about his feelings but he would just avoid it and talk about another trip of his. She just quit trying and enjoyed his stories. After all she had two weeks.

Suddenly he stopped talking.

"What is it? Why did you stop?" Martha asked.

"It's been more than two hours since we came here. It was getting dark then and is still night." The Doctor said.

"I said I got used to this planet but I still cannot sleep with all this light. I need night." Martha said laughing.

"Oh! Window covers! Of course, that's why you have the lamps! You brought a little bit of Earth with you, didn't you?" The Doctor said.

"Well, I need something to remind me it is bed time. Speaking of, you should rest." Martha said standing up.

"I am not tired." The Doctor said.

"Maybe, but you've been following me around Atrusan all day, you went under teleportation and your body just needs resting or else your liver will open up like a banana." Martha said.

"No it won't" he said with that -I-Know-you-are-lying- look on his face.

"ok, it won't but just do me the favour and take care of yourself. You have to rest." Martha said looking at him.

The Doctor looked her back. She was in lot of pain, because of him, again. She wanted him alive and he didn't know what he wanted.

_Just don't let her down with this. It is so easy, just take care of your self._He thought.

He jumped up, grinned and told her. "Your wish, my command, your Majesty." He bowed.

Martha smiled and said. "I'll show your room."

They went up, to the next level.

It was a big room, with a huge bed on the left, a small desk across the stairs, suitcases, clothes, books, a stuffed animal or two and… a roof made of glass!

"You have a roof made of glass. You can see the whole universe from your attic." The Doctor said.

"I like sleeping beneath the stars." Martha said.

The Doctor nodded and for a moment he got lost in his memories.

"You've got a nice bedroom. Not so messy as the one you had in London." He said receiving a slight punch on the shoulder.

"Hei! In London I didn't have Fatima." She said smiling. The Doctor laughed.

She opened a drawer and took a blanket.

"Ok, sleep tight." She said and headed for the stairs.

"Where are you going?" he asked her.

"downstairs." She answered.

"Don't tell me you'll sleep on the sofa." He said.

"Yes" she said. She knew were this was going. She had been there before.

"Martha, don't be ridiculous. There is a huge, double king size, super soft and warm bed and you'll sleep on the sofa? It's big enough for both of us. We have slept in smaller beds." The Doctor said.

"Oh, we hardly slept back then." She replied.

The Doctor looked at her surprised. He rubbed the back of his head trying to remember. Had they done something that escaped his memory?

"Back in Shakespeare I mean. We woke in the middle of the night." Martha said seeing the Time Lord so shocked.

"Oh! That's what you meant! And I thought…" he said and Martha looked at him waiting to complete his sentence.

"I thought you meant when we were sleeping in that half broken single bed back in 1969." He said saving it the last minute.

"this looks very tempting comparing to that, doesn't it?" he said smiling. He took of his shoes, jacket and tie and lied down.

"Come on, then." He told her with a grin on his face.

* * *

The Doctor was looking at the stars on Martha's ceiling. It was wonderful, almost magical. He could stay up all night, or Melcoupin, and watch it. It was just a recorded image but it was still magnificent. If Martha knew he wasn't sleeping…

She was very worried about him. She still loved him. She had told him during the surgery. After all this time.

He had traveled across the universe, he had visited worlds thousands of years ago and millions of years in the future, he had reached death and he had returned to her.

It was strange but every time he needed someone she appeared.

She had saved him, she had supported him, she had taken care of him.

She thought he didn't see her. Oh, on the contrary. She was a magnificent creature he was afraid to let her in.

He turned on his side and watched her sleep. Her back on him. He lifted his head a bit. She was so peaceful , so … beautiful. Shakespeare had foretold. A Queen … of Africa.

"Martha? Martha, are you sleeping?" he whispered.

"I'm trying to." She said tiredly, turning on her side to meet him. Her eyes were closed but he felt she was watching him.

"I just wanted to say thank you." He said

"About what?" she asked, her eyes still closed.

"Saving my life. It wouldn't be the first time, but I don't know how to thank you." He said.

"You could stay alive. You didn't seem very fond of it." She said and looked at him.

"Yeah, I have my moments. It was just, I am going to live for, what you could tell, ever, but I feel there is nothing else to see. The people I love will die and I feel I haven't lived enough."

"A man can leave in a moment what another can't in a whole life." Martha said.

"Wise words" he said.

"your words." She replied.

"I am wise , then" he said making Martha laugh.

"Martha, do you remember when we were in 1969? Do you remember that night that was raining like the world would end?" he asked her.

"Yes, It was a hell of a night. Or should I say a night of hell." She said and he smiled.

"Would you mind if we slept, like that night?" he asked.

Martha was surprised. It wasn't like him to ask permission to hug her. He just did what he felt like. Hugging, flirting, kissing…

"Ok." She said and slipped in the Doctor's arms.

He hold her tight and they slept until dawn.

* * *

_Writer's note: Another chapter finished, a lot of them to come. Please review._

_Coming up next... The Doctor is trying to find out what the Mercians want of Martha. Doctor and Martha's days togetherin Mercia and their departure. (not the last chapter)_


	8. He just can't sit down

**He just can't sit down.**

The Doctor was sitting on the sofa, feet on the table, reading a book about Mechanics.

Martha walked in ready to go. The Doctor looked at her over his book. She was wearing her usual white shirt and a pair of black trousers. Her hair was loose. He liked it that way. It made her sweet.

"Doctor I'm off to work." She said.

"Ok." He replied hiding behind his book.

"Would you like to come with me? It has been a week and you have barely left the house." She said. It was true.

"No, I'm ok." He said.

"But don't you want to see all the science stuff they are doing there? You know, they are experimenting on Black Material." Martha said trying to tempt him.

"Really?" he said putting his book down. It sounded really interesting.

"Yes, why don't you join them?" Martha said smiling. Finally something had caught his attention.

"It sounds cool but I'm tired. I'll just stay here and finish my book." He answered hiding behind the book.

"You are tired? Of what? Sitting on the sofa?" she yelled.

She was desperate. The first two days they had gone out, visited Humble and Janmin, even though he didn't seem very fancy of it. But since he discovered that "Book of Universal Mechanics" in her bookcase he just wouldn't take his eyes off of it.

He was even sleeping with it!

"Ok, then. I won't be back until tomorrow. I have to attend a Science conference." She said in a last attempt to get him off the house.

The Doctor nodded.

Martha walked to the teleportation chamber, defeated.

"Martha?" the Doctor said. She looked at him smiling. Had he changed his mind?

"Is Fatima coming here, today?" he asked letting her down.

"No, she'll be with me." She said and turned around.

"And get those feet of yours off the table, Time Lord!" she yelled making him jump.

The Doctor looked at the teleportation chamber. The blue light went off and Martha left the House. He waited for a moment or two, looked around, put his book on the table and… ran.

He ran to the basement where the TARDIS was.

"Good morning, my girl. Did you get the files we were searching yesterday?" the Doctor asked as he was approaching the Control Panel.

He touched a few buttons and a screen turned on.

"Brilliant!" he yelled and put on his glasses.

He had hardly stayed in this last week.

When they visited Janmin he met Lord Mesan Duuh, one of the two Lords of the Janmin tribe. He was proved very useful as, while they were talking, he revealed a big secret of the Myst tribe.

They were rewriting the Book of Destiny. It seemed that the Eye of Albatron had foretold a new destiny for the universe.

"Stupid Mercians and their Lost Kings! Why can't they just leave the world alone?" The Doctor yelled rubbing his eyes.

The last four days he had found out some very interesting things. Among them a few answers as to why Martha was chosen to stay in Mercia.

"Ok." The Doctor said turning the screen off and taking a piece of paper.

"Let's revise. The Eye of Albatron foretold a shinning future for Mercia WHICH connects to humans. That's why they approached Earth.

One of those who know about it ,is Lord Hasam Kuun, which explains his attachment to Martha. He always wanted to be a part of history but he could never do something worth writing for." The Doctor said and took a breath.

"And then comes me. Where do I fit in? What do I have to do with Mercia's destiny?

Well at least this explains why he took Martha. She is connected to me. A Child of Time. On the other hand ,why her? Why didn't they take Donna? Oh, right I erased her memory.

Why didn't they take Jack? Mickey? Well, I would choose her…" he paused.

"That's not the point! Any suggestions?" he asked his ship.

"Oh, God!" he said and rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, I suppose one last attempt wouldn't hurt anyone." He said and jumped off his seat.

He went upstairs, picked his jacket and got into the teleportation chamber.

It was the third time he was going to the Myst city. The first two were pretty much a failure.

He didn't like this city. He didn't hate it but it just wasn't his style. Everything was the same as thousands of years ago. You wouldn't hear a single voice while walking in the streets. The Mysts didn't have children, or families. Every fifty years the Eye of Ca'an would choose a new born to join the tribe.

_They have a thing with eyes, don't they?_ The Doctor thought as he entered the Great Hall of Albatron Palace.

There he stood, that stupid Mercian guy wouldn't grand him access.

He was in the middle of the room, sitting behind a desk full of crystal balls.

"Hello again!" the Doctor said.

The Mercian looked at him not saying a word.

"I came back in case you've changed your mind. You know about that, big, leather book, you keep in the Room of the Throne? The Book of Destiny?" The Doctor said.

"No one is allowed to see the book except the Myst writers." The Mercian said.

"And Time Lords. According to the Code of Time, paragraph 12, Time Lords have the right to know any predictions of the Future everywhere in the universe." The Doctor said for the third time this week. It was like someone had hit the repeat button. It was the same thing every time.

"Time Lords, lost that right in the last Time War." The Mercian said not even looking at the Doctor.

"But I am one Time Lord. One, single, defenseless Time Lord, what can I possibly do?" he said.

The Mercian looked at him. "No." he said.

The Doctor walked away and hid behind a column.

"You are too smart for this, Time Lord! I know what you will do before you do it." the Mercian said.

He was right. They were a tribe of Predictors, after all.

He smiled.

"Except if I do two things at the same time." He said and headed back home. All he had to do was travel back the day the prophecy occurred.

* * *

As soon as he reached Martha's home he ran back to TARDIS.

On his way he saw something really strange. Mercians didn't have supermarkets, so they were keeping all their food in huge jars in a small room in the basement of their houses.

Martha did as well in a small room next to the one TARDIS was. The door was open.

"That's strange. It was locked when I left and Martha said Fatima wouldn't come today." He said. Being curious as always he entered the room.

"Now that's interesting." He said as soon as he walked in. One of the jars was glowing. There was a green light all over it.

"Unless you are radioactive, you have no reason to be glowing." He said approaching it. He read the label on it.

"Mont. If Martha knew about it she would change her mind." He said and opened it.

"Wait a minute, when Martha drinks it doesn't glow. Oh, that's very interesting." He said and took some in the TARDIS. Time traveling could wait.

"Would you do me a favour and find me the Book of Alcmery? If I can't read the destiny of Mercia I'll read Averon's, and we will see who's the smartest!" the Doctor said and got in his private "Lab".

"I haven't come here in a while." He said blowing the dust off the table.

"I should clean once in while" he said trying to clean the air off the dust cloud that had risen.

"Ok, now, let's see why you became a flash light." He said putting some 'mont' in the microscope.

"Oh, this is interesting." He said seeing the cells of that thing moving really fast.

"Oh, this is going to be good." He said and started testing it in every aspect.

He would run across the room, reading results, doing another test, hitting and kicking machines trying to make them work.

"Finally! Oh my God. Is it? Really? No… Can't it be?" he said reading all his notes again and again.

He took his glasses off and put his hands on his head.

"An energy converter. They are changing Martha's energy. To what?" he wondered

"Doctor? Doctor, where are you?" Martha's voice was heard making the Doctor jump off his seat and run upstairs.

"Martha! I thought you wouldn't come back until tomorrow." He said appearing out of nowhere.

"The Conference was cancelled. There was an accident in the Labs and everybody is there." Martha said surprised that the Doctor had come, apparently, from the basement.

"And what are you doing here?" he asked. He couldn't finish his research with Martha around. There was something going on here and he didn't want to scare her. Not that she would be scared but… you don't find out every day that some alien race wants to transform you!

"Doctor? Doctor!" Martha yelled. He was lost in his thoughts again.

"Yes?" he said.

"Don't tell me you were in the TARDIS." She said crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Yes, yes I was. Poor TARDIS she needs fixing, I have neglected her lately." He said but Martha didn't seem to believe him. After all he was fixing TARDIS all the time.

"That's why I read the book! I'm… upgrading her. Oh, you can find some really cool stuff in here." He said picking up his book.

Martha still didn't believe him but she passed it. As long as he was there, safe and happy she was happy.

"It's getting dark." Martha said looking outside the window.

"I am so tired. You know they brought a Judoon today." She said.

"Really? What for?" he asked surprised. A Judoon in the hospital? Well, it has happened before.

"I'll make some mont Do you want anything?" she asked.

"Oh, Martha you shouldn't drink so much of It." he said.

"Why?" she asked.

"You know, because… it's addicting. Yeah, it's addicting and when you leave Mercia you are going to have … big problems. How about chocolate? A nice ,big, hot, cup of chocolate? I'll make some." He said and left the room.

That was strange. A Mont addict?

He was worried about her. That was good. However he was always worried about her.

But he never offered to make her chocolate. There was something going on. Could it be his medicines or was it another of his plans?

* * *

A few minutes later the Doctor came back with two cups of chocolate.

"Here you are. Nice, hot, safe chocolate." He said and gave her a cup.

"Safe?" she said laughing.

"You can't be addicted to chocolate, can you?" he said and sat down. His eyes scanned her. Nothing had changed about her. Of what he could see.

Could it be a mental thing? She had learned more than every human being could ever imagine and was still sane.

However Martha was very smart and opened minded. All the things she knew were the result of Mercians teaching her these last two years. They didn't just get into her head in two seconds.

"Doctor, are you alright?" she asked him.

"Yes, yes, I got distracted." He said.

"You get distracted a lot lately." She said and took a zip.

"It's because I have the time." He paused.

"Martha, have you noticed something changing these last two years?" he asked her.

"Like what?" she replied.

"You, for example. Have you noticed any changes on you? Physically?" he asked her. He could be exposed but there was no other way to find out. Well, he could run some tests on her but she might suspect him.

"No. I've still got one head, two arms and a beating heart. Why do you ask?" she asked.

"You know, with you living in Mercia, and eating all their foods." He said dully.

"Doctor, I am not stupid you know. I know, you know these foods cannot hurt me." She said giving him a severe look.

"Well…" he said

"What's going on? The truth!" she said putting her cup down.

He couldn't trick her, but he couldn't tell her the whole truth either.

"Do you know your Mont is glowing?" he said.

"Yes." She answered.

"What?" this was an answer he didn't expect.

"You know it? And you keep drinking it? Do you now it is enhanced with a plan that's basically an energy converter?" He said. He had to know what was going on.

"yes." Martha said like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"What?" Now he was more than surprised, he was stunned.

"It helps me survive on this planet. It keeps my energy levels high so that Mercia's gravity won't affect me. I drink Melodia every night to reverse its effect on me." She explained.

"That would make sense." He said and yet he lied. Melodia was indeed a plant that could reverse such an effect but it would need to be mixed up with an ingredient called Makhr that didn't exist anymore. He knew that. It was growing only in Gallifrey.

"There is no need to be worried, Doctor. No one is trying to hurt me here." she said and touched his hand.

"Oh, Martha, you have seen so much, you know of what people are capable of and yet you insist on seeing the good in them." He said caressing her cheek.

"I had a good teacher." She said and their eyes met.

Words escaped them once more. It was a moment of silence, only eyes spoke.

"I, should go back to the TARDIS." He said not taking his eyes of off her.

"Ok." She said smiling not taking her eyes of off him.

"Ok." He repeated. A moment pasted until he got up.

"Do you want me to help?" she asked.

"No. I'll be fine, you should rest.' He said.

"I am not the patient you know." She said smiling.

"But I am the Doctor." He smiled and left.

* * *

"Ok! We know there is a conspiracy going on here, let's find out more." The Doctor said sitting on his chair in front of the Control Panel.

"Oh, you found me the Book of Alcmery. Brilliant!" he said and started reading.

A few hours had passed when he decided to stop.

"Oh, I hate these books, they are always written in riddles!" he yelled getting his glasses off. He rubbed his eyes and started mumbling words in another language.

"Come on, Come on… Right!" he said and started walking up and down.

"So the world will change and the Mercians will conquer. But how?

Humans! The humans will be like royalties. But why? Well, they have common ancestors but they are considered inferiors comparing to them. So why? What do they have? Come on, think, think, think!" he said running a hand through his hair.

"Army! Humans have armies! Oh, imagine what they could do with some of the Mercian knowledge. So, that's why they are doing it. They will use people to conquer the universe and then they will be in command. But why Hasam Kuun chose Martha? She would never do such a thing." He said and stopped.

He remembered something. _To protect the universe. I would do anything to keep you alive._ She had told him.

"What could they possibly do to make her do such a thing?" he wondered and literally hanged himself of the screen scanning the text once more.

"Sentiur? Sentiur, Sentiur, Sentiur…" he was trying to remember what it meant.

"Lord of Time! What do I have to do with that?" he asked himself and read it again.

"What! I would never help them! This book is insane! I wouldn't start a war, leave alone leading an army in battle! Stupid books of destiny! Who reads these things anyway? Future can change in a moment. You could step on a butterfly and life would grow on Mars!" he said and turned the screen off.

He sat on his chair exhausted.

These books are not to be trusted. They tend to see the future on their races point of view.

Oh, he was so tired. He could just travel through time and see for himself, but he was not well. He was felling a little bit weak these last few days but he didn't tell Martha. He would be ok. But time traveling was exhausting and he couldn't risk it.

What is more he didn't know when all these were meant to be.

He got up and headed to the bedroom. He needed to clear his head. Maybe everything will be ok in the morning. Sometimes he just wishes to be able to sit down and relax.

But he just can't sit down. No, he has to search everything and worry about the universe.

It was his job after all. Saving the world. It would have been easier if he wasn't alone.

He reached the bed. Martha was sleeping on the right side of it. She was waiting for him. He opened the wardrobe and took a pair of pants and a T- Shirt writing "Best Doctor Ever." Martha had bought it for him but never had the chance to give it to him. He changed and lied down.

"You shouldn't get so tired. You'll break down eventually." Martha said turning around to face him.

"I thought you were sleeping." He said getting under the blankets.

"I was waiting for you but I fall asleep." She said.

"I am here now, go back to sleep." He said kissing her forehead.

"I didn't want to come down there and disturb you, I know fixing the TARDIS makes you happy in this boring planet but you should not make abuse of it." she told him.

Mercia boring? On the contrary!

"I won't, I promise." He said.

Martha closed her eyes.

"And fixing the TARDIS is not the only thing that makes me happy." He said smiling.

Martha smiled back.

The Doctor hugged her tight and kissed her forehead once more. He was afraid he would lose her.

They would take her away. She would leave him if the prophecy came true.

He was capable of destroying the world but would he do it?

He looked at her sleeping face.

How could the world be so cruel?

* * *

_Author: Thanks for your reviews, they help me keep going!_

_Coming up next: Is Doctor going to destroy the world in Mercia's side?_

_Will Martha make an invincible army? What is the true meaning of all these? _


	9. Temptetion

**Temptation**

"Did you find it?" Martha yelled from the bedroom.

"No!" The Doctor answered from the living room.

"Did you search?" Martha asked him again.

"Of course!" he answered.

"I know when you are lying, Doctor!" Martha said appearing on the top of the stairs.

"No, really I have no idea where it is, it's been like a million years since the last time I put it on, I can't remember where I have put it." he said.

"Really? You can remember all that science stuff, millions of languages, history events but you can't remember where you have put your suit?" Martha said.

"Well, I only have one head." He said making a puppy face.

Martha smiled and returned upstairs.

The Doctor sat down.

"You still have to get dressed you know!" Martha said laughing making him jump off his seat.

Not having a choice he went to the TARDIS. He had put some of his clothes in Martha's wardrobe but he kept his formal clothes in his ship.

He got into his room and approached his wardrobe. It was amazing how he kept so many clothes inside it. He had suits from many eras. Victorian, Elizabethan, 1900's and more. "Now what should I wear?" he wondered rubbing the back of his head.

Martha and he were invited in Mercia's biggest fest. Two weeks after the Omaha, all the Mercian tribes were having fests to celebrate it. Of course they were invited in the Narayan Celebration where the whole Council of the Tribes will be.

He wasn't very fancy of this kind of things but it was his only chance. He would make things clear once and for all. He would talk to Hasam Kuun and find out what was going on and why on earth they were trying to change Martha!

He would test his sample again and again but he wouldn't find a source of energy. They were converting her energy to… nothing. That didn't make sense. Converting her energy but not converting it.

He took a step back and looked at a cupboard over his bed.

"Stupid traditions." He said and approached it.

He wanted to go and find out once and for all. But there was one problem. All the guests must wear their tribe's traditional suit.

He didn't have one. That's what he had told Martha. That he didn't remember where he had put it all those years ago.

He was standing now in front of his cup board, hands shaking.

Was he afraid? Was he sad? Angry? He didn't know. He only knew he didn't want to open it.

Oh, God, he really didn't like Mercia. The planet that never forgets. Mess with history and your name will be written in their books forever.

Mess with the future and they will be the first to know.

A race stuck with traditions.

He took a big breath and closed his eyes. Without seeing he opened it.

He touched it like a blind man. He had forgotten how soft it was.

"Made by universe's fabric…" he whispered.

He took it in his hands. "Sewed by the stars…" he let it unfold.

"Blessed by Time." He finished and opened his eyes. Hundreds of years had passed and yet this suit hadn't changed a bit. The traditional suit of Gallifrey.

It was dark blue like the night sky of Earth. Look at it carefully and you could see the whole universe on it. Stars long gone, galaxies far away and in the center, Gallifrey.

He could see it, spinning around itself, its two suns moving around it.

He looked back at the cupboard and took something out of it. A ring with a word engraved on it. He read it. It was in a language he hadn't use in a long time.

"Doctor." He said and put it on. He stood indecisive for a moment but finally he put his suit on.

It was more like a cloak, actually. He was sure he looked like a wizard in it. Like Harry Potter or something.

He looked himself in the mirror. He was visible. That meant he was in his timeline.

He used to hate this thing. They were made for making them invisible to others when they were in another timeline. What would be the in that?

What is more it was very formal and he looked like he was some king of Illuminati or something.

And he wasn't. He liked to think himself as a crazy scientist. It was more like him.

He sighed. It was very complicated. It brought back bad memories and yet it smelled like home.

Was it? Earth was his home now. He had… a family there. Yes, he did. He had had a family there.

And then stroke him. Was he more of a Time Lord or human? Maybe both?

He smiled. He needed to move on. Even he can't change history. He wasn't sure if would do it now. He had lived so many things and he just couldn't erase it.

* * *

He went back upstairs, wearing his traditional suit.

He felt a little weird about it. Everyone would recognize him in it. But it was something he needed to do. A proper goodbye.

"Doctor, are you ready?" Martha's voice was heard from the bedroom.

"Oh, yes." He answered. He really wanted to see her face when she would see him like this. A Time Lord in his full glory.

"What did you put on?" she asked.

"Oh, you'll see. Are you ready?" he asked.

"Yes, yes, I'll be down in a minute." She said. He smiled. He was really excited to see her reaction.

He looked at the table. A Mont cup. No matter how much he would try to make it disappear, Fatima would just bring home. Could see be a part of this?

_Doctor you are being paranoid!_An inner voice told him.

"What do you think?" Martha's voice was heard on the top of the stairs.

The Doctor looked at her and his jaw dropped open.

She was so…. So…. So… there were no words to describe her.

No, there were, written hundreds of years ago.

_Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?_

_Though art more lovely and more temperate…_

"Oh, my… you found it, didn't you?" she said and climbed down the stairs.

"Oh, yes…" he answered lost in his thoughts. She was like a princess, no, no, not a princess.

A fairy, a creature of magic, in her light purple dress. Smooth pieces of half transparent fabric were connecting the dress with her hands. So delicate, so … beautiful. If the wind blew she would fly, like … a butterfly.

"This is it, isn't it?" Martha kept asking looking at the Doctor's outfit.

It should be it. He had described it at her once

_. Resembling the sky, you can see the whole universe through it. And Gallifrey, Oh, Gallifrey, always in my hearts' place._

She wanted to touch it, but she was afraid. He looked so… different in that suit.

Sure, she knew he was an alien. A gorgeous, super smart an h… Well…

But he always seemed so human, just an ordinary man.

Now he was… breathtaking. You could see his power. Galaxies changing in his every move.

Finally, she had seen Doctor's other side. He was a Time Lord.

"Martha, you are… brilliant." He said.

_Brilliant? What are you stupid? Magnificent. That's what she is._ He thought.

"Thanks, and you are…" her sentence was cut in half. What was she supposed to say? Where any words?

The Doctor looked at her waiting for her to finish. She was so surprised, but no less than he was.

"… outstanding. You found it, eventually." She said.

"Yes, it took me a while to remember where I had put it but in the end…" he said like he didn't care much of it.

"What is this?" Martha asked him seeing the ring on his finger.

"You could say… an ID." He said but he couldn't hide his sadness.

Martha took his hand. "Are you ok?" she asked him.

"I'm fine. Do you want to touch it?' he asked her.

Martha stretched her arm to touch the cloak.

"It's like touching the sky. If it had a texture that would be it." she said.

"I know." He said and their eyes locked. They both froze.

There were so many things he wanted to do right now.

_Come on, Doctor, there is no time for this! We must go see Hasam Kuun and find out what's going on_.

His body leaned forward.

_No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! Don't even think about it! She's been there before and you hurt her. _

His face was an inch away from hers.

_WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? There is no time for this. The universe is in danger! She is in danger, remember? _

"We must get going." He whispered in her ear and went to the teleportation chamber.

"Same thing, every time" she whispered and followed him.

* * *

Atrusan's great hall was full of Mercians and important people of the neighboring planets. The King of Amalthia was there, the President of Delih 21. Everyone talking in small groups with a glass on their hands waiting for the Lord's speech.

It was like a human gala. "They are so much alike and yet so different." He said.

Everyone was looking at him weird. Those old enough recognized his suit. Some talked to him and some were actually kind.

For the young ones he was just a weirdo. But what can you ask of species that live less than half a century?

Martha, however, was incredible. It seemed there was not a single person in the room that didn't know her and didn't talk to her. Except for the Mysts. They were hidden in small groups avoiding everyone.

That helped his plan. He walked around the room, alone, searching for Lord Kuun. Like a tiger is looking for her prey.

At last. There he was, just metres away from him. He saw him.

The Doctor approached him. He was not alone but he didn't care.

"If it is not for the last of the Time Lords, the Doctor." He said smiling. It was like a demon was smiling.

"Hello, Lord Kuun, it's been a long time since I last saw you." The Doctor said.

"The last time I saw you young man you weren't the only one wearing this suit." Hasam Kuun said.

It was just before the Time War.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. To the point, why is Martha here?" the Doctor asked him.

The Lords accompanying Kuun seemed offended by the Time Lord's manners.

"Oh, her Majesty is a bless to us all." He answered.

"That's not what I asked. Her Majesty should be at Earth not here." The Doctor said.

"Her place is in Mercia. She accepted that." Hasam Kuun said.

"It's not working with me Kuun. Answer my question." The Doctor said.

"Mercians made a proposal to humans and they accepted, sending the Storyteller here." Hasam Kuun said.

"I know about the prophecy, Kuun, and I have news for you. You are not going to conquer the world while I'm alive." He said.

Lord Kuun smiled.

"Will you follow me?" he asked the Doctor.

* * *

The Doctor and Lord Hasam Kuun entered one of Atrusan's Labs.

"So, the last of the Time Lords found out about our bright future. What is it that you want to ask?" Hasam Kuun asked him.

"Why Martha?" he asked.

"Oh, the beloved Martha Jones, the Storyteller, her Majesty the Doctor of Mercia and so many names that history will give her. Because she was the right one." Kuun answered.

"What do you mean? Who decided that?" the Doctor asked.

"Destiny." the old Mercian answered.

"There is no such thing!" the Doctor yelled.

"Oh, there is and you keep running away from it." Hasam Kuun said.

"It wasn't Gallifrey's destiny to burn, nor mine to be the last of my kind." The Doctor yelled.

"No, it wasn't" Kuun said. The Doctor looked at him.

"I am 1500 years old, Doctor. I've lived things that you only know as stories and I've learned this. Everything happens for a reason and your destiny is not yet complete. Six years ago the eye of Albatron showed us the future. Mercia's future is connected to you and the human race. Every time something changed we were disappointed because we didn't know the reason. Oh, it was until we found the right one." Kuun said.

"You keep saying that, get to the point! Why did you bring Martha here and what are you trying to do by converting her energy?" the Doctor asked.

"I was always fascinated by the courage of human race, but the Story teller… she was just magnificent. So strong, so courageous, ready to sacrifice everything to save the world. Not putting up with injustice, willing to change the course of history. And yet, so full of love, and passion. Believing in people's good side. So human and yet so… Time Lord." Kuun said.

The Doctor's face broke. His eyes widened and his voice was lost.

Was he…? Had he just said…? What the…?

"So better than both of it. The race of Time Lords is not to die with you. A new, powerful race, of human Time Lords will start with your help and with our guidance we will take our proper place in the universe.

They were changing Martha into a Time Lord!

"Avoiding my destiny? You caused the DNA Metakrisis! You did this to Donna!" the Doctor yelled. Oh, they knew no limits…

"Previous attempts had occurred but with the wrong way." Kuun said.

"Wrong way? Wrong way! You nearly killed a human!" the Doctor yelled approaching him.

"But did not happen." Kuun said.

"The mont! The energy converter! That's how you do it, inside out, you bastards!" the Doctor yelled forcing himself in his place not to hit Kuun.

"We are not doing anything. An energy converter without an energy source affects no one. It is you that did it all." Lord Hasam Kuun said and smiled triumphant.

The Doctor froze.

"I touched it. My energy was attached in its cells. You have no idea with what you are messing with. She won't survive." The Doctor said.

"Oh, Doctor, you have no idea. I knew you didn't read the prophecy. You could tell, Martha Jones about it, she would believe you and you can't imagine the cost of it." Kuun threatened him.

The Doctor felt sick. How can this be? He was tricked and caused all this to Martha.

He ran back to the Hall. How can someone be so…cruel? How could he risk a life? Martha's life?

"Doctor, where have you been?" Martha asked him.

"Around." He answered.

"I was looking all over the place for you. Come on, let's go." She said.

Yes, leave, away from this place and never return.

He followed her into the teleportation chamber. Oh, he wanted to say so much. Tell her about what was going on and yet he was so afraid. What could happen to her? Kuun was capable of anything.

He could take her with him, in TARDIS, but for how long? She wouldn't accept that. And even if she did, Kuun could attack Earth with one of his friends or just spread an incurable illness and kill half the human race.

* * *

Martha and the Doctor walked out the chamber. It was a bit cold.

"Where are we?" he asked her.

"In Gemmin. They invited me to their fest. Oh, they are unbelievable." She said and grabbed his hand running through the forest.

It was night. Mercia's single hour of darkness.

They could distinguish a fire not very far from them.

"Oh, here they are!" Martha said and ran even faster. She was really exited.

As soon as they got there dozens of Mercian kids fell on Martha, hugging her and screaming. Women approached smiling kindly and Men showed respect.

He had never seen Gemmins. They looked a lot like gorillas.

Their fest was very simple. A fire, a wonderful, big, red fire, in the middle, young Mercians dancing around it, children running around while others were singing and others were just observing.

An old Mercian stood up and approached them.

"Oh, Lord Zora!" Martha said and hugged him. He hugged her back and said a few words in Mercian, which Martha seemed to understand.

Then he looked at the Doctor.

"It's an honour to meet you, young man. We have heard so many stories about you from her." Lord Zora said and invited him to sit next to him.

Martha joined the rest of them in dancing and playing with the children.

She was so happy.

"Down here it never dawns, young man. It is always black, like the colour of our fur and the souls of those up." Lord Zora said. "We live in a place which resembles your soul, half dark and half bright." He added.

The Doctor looked at him.

"A Myst? How did they miss you?" the Doctor asked.

"Night is the shelter of those hunted. But tell me, Time Lord, what troubles you?" the old Mercian asked.

"I believe you know." The Doctor answered.

"She is a remarkable creature. Destined for great things. I know little of this things, I am 1995 years old you see. Death approaches me too fast to let me remember. But I tell you this. The answer is to be." Lord Zora said.

To be or not to be? Shakespeare had reached the edges of the universe.

To be.

"Come on, Doctor, let's dance." Martha told him and for a few hours he forgot everything.

He forgot about the universe, about wars, new species, everything.

For a few hours, he became John Smith and danced around the fire with a beautiful woman, sang along with the others and made jokes about severe authorities of space.

Oh, life could be so good.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

A blue light went off in Martha's house and Martha exited the teleportation chamber supporting the Doctor.

"Yo ho! A pirate's life for me!" he yelled.

"I think you got drunk just by starring the fire." Martha said.

"Oh, don't be silly, Martha. That happened only once and it was not a small fire." He said and fell on the sofa.

"You were pretty dangerous back then, not just drunk." Martha said looking at him.

"Burn with me! Burn with me!" he teased her.

"Oh, Martha, I am just happy!" he yelled.

"I am happy you are happy." She said and teased his hair.

"But I am also tired. I'm off to bed." She said and climbed up the stairs.

The Doctor stood up and watched her leave.

How could anyone hurt such a creature?

He followed her silently. He stopped at the top of the stairs.

She was changing. Removing every piece of fabric off of her.

He approached her silently, like a hunter; he took out his screwdriver and…

"Be silent and no one gets hurt!" he said with an altered voice putting his screwdriver on her back like a gun.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Martha asked and tried to turn around.

"No tricks lady. Stay as you are. Where is he?" he asked.

"Who?" Martha asked. She wasn't scared.

"That idiot, tall, skinny guy that runs all the time. He has a stupid blue box too." He said.

"I don't know what you are talking about." She said. Oh, she was good.

"That's fine I'll just keep shooting all around the house until I get him." He said.

"No if I can help it." she said and punched him on the face without seeing who he is.

"Oh, my God. You are very strong!" the Doctor said touching his nose.

"Oh, my God, Doctor! That was you? What were you thinking?" Martha said grabbing a few tissues to stop the bleeding.

"I thought it would be fun!" He explained.

"Scaring the hell out of me?" Martha said.

"Well, well, well…" the Doctor said in pain and then collapsed.

"Doctor? Doctor? I know you are fine, wake up. Doctor!" Martha said and in a flash of a moment he kissed her.

"Was that funny?" he asked her.

"Hardly." She said but smiled when she grabbed some more tissues.

"Oh, Martha Jones. My doctor. You were always there for me, treating me when I was hurt, supporting me when I needed it to and what have I done for you?" he said removing the tissues. The bleeding had stopped.

"You exist in my life." She said and smiled.

"Stuck in the past. I traveled to the end of the world and yet I was stuck in my past. I couldn't see what I've been missing. People who care about me and would give their lives for me." He said

"You would do the same for them." Martha told him.

"Oh, a thousand times if needed." He answered and looked her in the eyes.

"Good night, good night, a thousand times goodnight… How could he see in a day what I couldn't for so long?" He said and caressed her cheek.

"You love me." He said.

"I will always love you." Martha said.

"Bright, loving, courageous… born in battle, passionate… so different and yet so much alike.

Oh, you were always there for me, Martha Jones, I just could not admit it to myself." He said.

"Admit, what?" she asked.

"That I love you." He said and kissed her.

A kiss of true love.

A night of true love.

* * *

Across the city, on Atrusan's roof one man stood alone.

"It has begun."


	10. In destiny we write

**In destiny we writte**

Lasers were covering the corridor. A few angry aliens were trying to capture the Doctor. Others were ignoring him, trying to hit the enemy while some were actually trying to help him.

"That was close!" the Doctor said hiding behind a wall. He got his screwdriver out of his pocket opening a small door next to him.

"I believe it's time to end this!" he said messing a few cables.

"Come on, come on, come on…." He said kicking the old computer.

"Shielding sectors one to five in two… one…" a computerized voice was heard.

"Ok, how about some Melca?" he said pushing a red button.

A pink fluid flooded sectors one to five, trapping the Animos.

"That's disgusting. Believe me, I know." He said taking a look at the screen.

"Who would keep Melca in his ship?" he wondered.

Smiling satisfied he returned to the battlefield.

The shooting had stopped and the Averon's were looking each other, surprised.

One of them, Sacramento, approached him.

"Doctor! What did you do?" he asked him.

"I gave them their medicine and believe me after that they will be different people." He said.

"Thank you, Doctor, you saved our ship." He said shaking his hand.

"It will take one to two weeks for them to get rid of it, so they will leave you alone. These space pirates will think it twice next time." He said laughing.

"Thank God we had some Melca." Sacramento said laughing.

"I wanted to ask you about it. Where were you taking it?" the Doctor asked Sacramento.

"Averon. We are returning from Mercia. Melca is a very useful medicine, a bit expensive, but very useful." He answered.

"I see." He said. His hearts were beating fast. "Ok, it has been nice seeing you again, Sacramento, but I have to go now." He said shaking the alien's hand and left.

Mercia.

He didn't like Mercia. He had left something there.

Funny thing. He had lived the most wonderful moments of his life there and yet he didn't want to go back.

He was afraid of what could happen.

"Where could she be?" he whispered to himself and stopped, memories flooding his thoughts.

_It was still dark around the house__. Martha was sleeping beside him. So calm, so beautiful. _

_He had succumbed. After all these years hiding and holding back himself, he had, eventually, given in. And it was wonderful. _

_Oh, he wouldn't change this moment for the world. _

_Just him, Martha and the stars. _

_Destiny. _

_A word came into his mind. _

_His dark destiny, universe's destruction, Martha's slavery. _

_What should he do? Of course he didn't believe in this kind of things but that didn't mean they don't happen._

_Martha didn't believe in magic until he told her it exists in every thing she does. _

_He looked at her. There was no other way. _

_He had to go away._

_Why did he have to lose everything he loved?_

_The next day he took her home. He Left her near Francine's house. It was not a good thought to pay her a visit. Their meetings did not end well. _

_However he would prefer to get slapped by Martha's mother than do what he was supposed to do. _

"_Ok, then, I brought you back, safe and sound." He told Martha grinning. _

"_Don't you want to come in?" she asked him. It had already begun. _

"_Oh, no, my face still hurts every time I see your mother." He said making her laugh. She was so beautiful._

"_Martha…" he said looking serious._

"_What?" Martha said changing her mood. She knew that look. It meant nothing good. _

"_I have to go." He said. _

"_But you'll come back, right?" she said. _

_He looked at her pleading her not to continue. _

"_Right?" no response. _

"_Right?" she asked again._

_He took a letter out of his pocket and gave it to her. _

" _It is very complicated. I can't explain you why. Please don't ask. It's not your fault. Make sure to keep this letter out of sight and read it alone. No one else must see it, ok?" he told her and she nodded. _

_She was ready to cry. _

"_Will… will I ever see you again?" she asked him. _

_He couldn't answer. It was very hard. He was trying really hard to keep his tears from falling. _

_He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Martha's lips. _

_He felt her tears wetting his face. It could have been his tears. He couldn't tell. _

_H couldn't say__ good bye. _

_He left her standing there, with her eyes closed, and he left. _

_He got inside the TARDIS and left. Not looking back._

"Doctor!" someone yelled bringing him back to reality.

"Doctor!" a weird blue guy shouted. The Doctor turned around to face him.

"Hello, have we met before?" the Doctor asked.

"Briefly, I fixed your accelerator once. It was about a year ago, you almost died then. I'm happy to see you're ok." He said.

The Doctor looked at him carefully. He had met him before, he was sure of it. Oh, where was his super duper memory, now?

"Bush! The blue genius mechanic from Asteroid 13!" he said remembering him.

"You're a bit different?" he noticed.

"I've grown up." Bush told him.

The Doctor thought a little. He should be a Melathron. Well, if you are to live for about twenty years you should grow a lot in a year.

""What are you doing here?" he asked. He didn't really care but he needed something to distract him.

"Pirates landed on Asteroid 13 and took me as a slave. They killed Bilbo, my boss, and took all our things.

Thank you for helping me escape." Bush said.

"Well, there's no reason to." He said.

"Oh, yes there is. You gave me back my freedom. Well, for the second time." Bush replied. The Doctor looked at him curious.

"Excuse me? What do you mean?" the Doctor asked.

"Well, I think of the Doctor of Mercia as my first and only savior."

He was talking about Her.

"If it hadn't been for her I would be nothing more than a beast. I would do anything to please her." Bush added and got a letter out of his pocket.

The Doctor was surprised.

"I went to Mercia before I get caught. She had said she wanted to check on me once in a while. I told her I had seen you. When I left she gave me this and told me to give it to you." Bush said and handed him the letter.

So she had gone back. She had risked her life once more. It sounded just like her. Leaving everything behind for the greater good.

She had sent him a letter. Bush had seen her.

"Thank you, Bush. So, you are staying here?" the Doctor asked looking at the envelope in his hand.

"No, I'm going back home. Melathron." He said.

"Would you like a ride?" the Doctor asked.

* * *

"It's bigger on the inside!" Bush said as he was entering TARDIS.

"You're not the first to say it." the Doctor said.

"How's that possible? Will you teach me how to do it?" Bush asked.

"Maybe." The Doctor answered. The young mechanic had changed a lot since the last time he had seen him. He was actually communicating!

"Take a seat. It will take a while." The Doctor said. He was lying. Melathron was not that far away.

Actually it was so close he wouldn't have the time to ask his blue friend all the things he wanted.

So he got TARDIS in the time Vortex.

"So, how's Mercia? Still bright and shinny with its two suns?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes, unfortunately." Bush answered. Melathrons were creatures of the dark. Their planet didn't have a sun.

"That's a thought." The Doctor said. "How about Atrusan, still in its place? Did they cover you with Melca? Nasty, isn't it?" the Doctor added disgusted.

"No, but they made me drink it. It tastes good actually." Bush answered.

"Really?" the Doctor said surprised. "I thought there was no race in the universe that would find that thing nice." He added.

Bush looked at him.

"Well, what were you doing there in the first place?" he asked. He wanted to ask about her but he just couldn't do it.

"I had a thing, they told me what but I didn't understand. All this medical stuff seem like Animo to me.

I couldn't grow. Do you know how old I am?" Bush asked the Doctor.

"Well, thinking that you are a Melathron you must be around … 9 or ten." The Doctor answered.

Bush smiled.

"Sixteen. I am sixteen." Bush said. The Doctor was taken aback. He should really old.

"I stopped growing six years ago. I couldn't speak, I couldn't be with others. Bilbo was the only one who could put up with me.

When he heard about the Doctor of Mercia he took me there and… she made me well. " Bush said. The Doctor didn't answer.

"Doctor, why don't you ask me what you really want?" Bush said.

The Doctor looked at him weird. "Excuse me?" he said.

"Your heart beat has increased since I started talking about her.

The same happened to her when I told her about you. It's obvious that there's something going on." Bush said.

"I have no idea what you mean." The Doctor said.

"While I was in Asteroid 13 I met every kind of creature that exists in this universe. I learned to read them like books. It's essential when you hang around people like Apple, Mac, Idosh." Bush said.

"Apple… Mac…Idosh? Really?" The Doctor said surprised. He had heard that before.

"You can't hide from me. I've heard something is going on in Mercia." He said.

Bush was a smart Melathron. He could remember anything his ear would catch.

"Have you heard about the Book of Destiny?" the Doctor gave in. He could go on for hours but there was no reason. He felt like he could trust him.

"No." Bush answered.

"It is a Book in which the destiny of the universe is written." The Doctor said.

"That sounds weird." Bush said.

"Oh, no there are many, but Mercia's is thought to be the most reliable." The Time Lord replied.

"Ok, so what's going on?"

"Six years ago a new prophecy occurred. The Mercians along with the Humans will conquer the universe. Those monkey faces will betray humans and make them slaves taking over the empire." The Doctor said.

"That's not good." Bush said.

"No, it's not, but there is worse. They will use me to make a new species, Human Time Lords, a whole army of powerful Human Time Lords with me as their leader." The Doctor added.

"Do you want to conquer the universe?" Bush asked.

"No, of course I don't! I've seen too many wars already I wouldn't start another one." The Doctor answered.

"Then how could you be sure?" bush asked.

"Because…. This option exists, it has already happened in the future either in this universe or in a parallel one! I have started a war!" the Doctor yelled.

"But you haven't" bush said.

"Exactly, but the option exists. Prophecies are just slots in time. They exist, they are real, but we don't know in which universe they will come true. I can't risk her life!" the Doctor yelled, walking up and down running a hand through his hair.

"The Doctor's life?" Bush asked worried.

"They are trying to change her. They think she is the perfect guinea pig." The Doctor said.

"What do you mean?" Bush asked standing up. No one was going to mess with savior.

"They are trying to transform her. Make her a Time Lord. Oh, but I stopped them. I left, and without my DNA they can do nothing. Ha!" the Doctor said.

"I don't think you stopped them, mate." Bush said.

"What?" the Doctor said worried. What had happened? What did bush know? After all he had seen her last.

"She has… swollen up. Her… stomach, mate, is round like an engine cell, and she can barely walk. She was nothing like I remembered her. I thought she might be sick… but now…" Bush said but the Doctor was already lost in his own world.

Martha had swollen up? Stomach round like engine cell and barely walking?

What the…

"Oh, don't tell me…" the Doctor said with a big smile forming on his face.

"Oh, no!" he yelled afraid and turned on Alchmery's screen.

"Doctor, what happened?" Bush asked.

"I thought the prophecy talked about me but hardly… They didn't want me and they didn't want Martha, they wanted both of us… in one person." The Doctor said and scanned the text once more.

"I cannot understand. Martha is Mercia's Doctor?" Bush asked.

"Yes, you see I got the prophecy wrong. I thought the energy converter intended to change Martha's biology." The Doctor said, changing page.

"But it didn't." Bush noted.

"No, what they were trying to do was help her bare a Time Lord… in her womb. Martha's pregnant! She has a tiny Time Lord inside her!" he said smiling like a day dreamer.

"A powerful, Human Time Lord, which will be born in Mercia. That's what they wanted. They will raise this child as their own, with their thoughts and will make Martha to help them build an army." He said finally understanding.

"That's what they wanted. They wanted us to have a child, so they could use it. My destiny was to create a new species, so now there is no reason for me to exist." He said staring the text.

"And I was wondering why so many people were trying to kill me. Well, more than normal." He sat down.

"A child born for war." He said devastated.

How could this be? Something so innocent and pure to be used for such a dirty thing as war.

"I know this story!" Bush yelled. The Doctor looked at him.

"You do?"

"My mum used to tell me that story! Oh, it goes way back, more than six years I can tell you that." Bush said.

"Are you sure?" the Doctor asked him.

"Of course. It's the story of god Emrash and his wife, Tanah.

Emrash met Tanah and showed her the world. During the trip Tanah fell in love with him but he could not love her, so they became friends. Years later, God Ause and Aura tried to rule the universe, but they wanted an army of immortals.

They couldn't make an army of Gods because they would want a part of this empire but an army of half- Gods would do the job.

So they tricked Emrash and Tanah and they had a child, Mikro. A child made for war. However his supposed destiny was never accomplished.

Emrash was in love with Tanah, he just couldn't admit it.

Mikro was a child of love.

Children of true love are not made for war.

Is this a child of true love?" Bush asked him.

The Doctor looked at him, his mouth wide open.

"Yes." The word just escaped his mouth. It was barely audible.

"Yes, yes it is." The Doctor repeated loudly.

"So, there is nothing you should think about. If destiny is written in a Book, we write books and therefore our destiny." Bush said straightening himself.

The Time Lord looked at him with respect. His age could be seen now.

"Bush would you like to help me?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes." The blue Melathron answered.

"It will not be easy. We may die." The Doctor warned him.

"It would an honour to die for such purpose." Bush said.

"The honour will be mine." The Doctor said smiling.

"Mercia, here we come!" he yelled and got out of the time vortex.

* * *

_Coming next... the last chapter._


	11. In destiny we writeII

**Sorry to disturb you, there is nothing new to this story I just wanted to introduce you to my blog, a blog this community inspired me to create. I will be posting my stories there, (no fanfiction stories, actual literature.) So if you want to read a book online, you can read mine and it's totally free. I update every week. Thank you for the inspiration you have given me, I was on the verge of giving up my writting skills.**

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* * *

In Destiny we write. (II)

Martha was sitting on her bed holding a wooden box. She couldn't sleep.

She was in a lot of pain lately. Her baby was restless and made her tired.

Her back hurt, her feet hurt, she could barely stand up.

She didn't go home anymore. One day she passed out and they got her a room there. In Atrusan.

To keep an eye on her and the baby.

She opened the small box. There were many things inside it. A cross her mother had given her, her spare key of TARDIS, photos taken way back, in 1969, and a letter.

His letter.

She would read it every night. It gave her strength and courage to go on. He hadn't abandoned her. He simply ran away, for the greater good. And she needed to fight for the same cause.

But it was not easy.

She read once more:

"_Dear Martha, _

_I've been told I talk too much but right now words seem to escape me. I wish Shakespeare was here to write another beautiful sonnet for you. _

_Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?_

_Though art more lovely and more tempered …_

_But the words I wish to say do not deserve such beauty. _

_I run away once more and I hate me for that. But I did it for you, to keep you safe. _

_Things in Mercia were not as innocent as you thought. _

_Just as I suspected, Kuun was experimenting on you. He was making you a Time Lord. Well, with some of my, unwilled, help. _

_Oh, I just had to put my stupid hand in the Mont jar, didn't I?_

_I know it sounds crazy but it is the truth and there is more to that. _

_The reason the Mercians approached you was because they wanted your help. _

_They knew that if humans had their knowledge and their technology the first thing they would do was build an army._

_Imagine such an army. Almost invincible. _

_That's what they wanted. A powerful army of Human Time Lords to rule the world. And then they would make you slaves. Time Lords doomed to live only one life while they will live for thousands of years. _

_Hard to believe it, hah? Here comes the best part. _

_There is a prophecy about all these. They didn't choose you randomly. They chose you because they thought you were perfect to be their first soldier. The one who would pass the knowledge down, the first of this new race and the one… who would bring me to Mercia. _

_The prophecy says I will lead this army to war. _

_It is a war the universe cannot bare. It is a change your body cannot bare. _

_It will kill you! _

_There was no alternative. I had to go and never return to Mercia. Destiny has its own wicked ways. _

_Don't say any of these to Unit. They will just start the war on their own. _

_I'm not telling you not to return to Mercia, but I'm not telling you to go either. _

_Kuun told me that he'll find a way to bring you back, no matter the cost. He is capable of everything, Martha!_

_I must disappear so they won't find me. Ever. _

_I hope you understand. I would do anything to keep you safe._

_I love you,_

_The Doctor."_

She put the letter back in the box and took a picture. They were so happy that day. Just the two of them.

She closed the box and hid it. She was really tired. She needed to sleep.

She put a weird device on her wrist and lied down. She didn't drink Mont any more.

She wore this device. Two soldiers were guarding her, outside her door and a security camera was watching her from the top of the room.

* * *

The TARDIS stopped trembling. They had arrived. Both the Doctor and Bush reached the door.

"No, matter what happens outside this door, I want you know it was an honour to meet you." Bush told the Doctor.

"I have that effect on people." The Doctor said and opened the door.

Pitch black. Silence. There was not a single Mercian.

"That was not what I had in mind." Bush said and got out. His blue skin glowed in the dark.

"We are in Gemmin, in Mercia's heart. A place suns cannot reach and Narayan are afraid to visit." The Doctor said joining him.

"Why?" Bush asked.

"Because these people are pure, and they can't affect them." He answered and walked away.

"Wait for me!" Bush said and followed him.

A few minutes later they saw a fire.

"Here we are." The Doctor said and approached them.

They weren't singing, nor dancing.

Men, women and children were sitting around the fire hearing to an old Man's stories. He wasn't Lord Zora.

The Doctor and Bush stood behind them, silently.

When the old man saw them, he stopped talking and stood up.

"Doctor." He said.

He had seen him before. He was sitting next to Zora at the fest.

"We were waiting for you." The old man added. "Mika, shall continue the story. Percy and Mantal, with me." He said and entered the hut behind him. The doctor and Bush followed him.

"Please take a seat." He said.

"No, thanks. What's going on? Where's Lord Zora?" the Doctor asked. Stupid question. He had already figured it out. Lord Zora was very old. He had died and this was the new Gemmin Lord.

"Unfortunately, Lord Zora left us before Omaha. I am Neutron, the new Lord of the tribe." He answered.

"Before Zora passed away he told us something extremely bad was about to happen and that you would come to save us." Neutron said.

The Doctor didn't react. He was thinking. He had come here to ask for help. He trusted Zora, but what about this guy?

"Do you know about the new prophecy in the Book of Destiny?" the Doctor asked the Tribe Lord.

"Yes, Lord Zora told me about it." he answered.

"What do you think about it?" the Doctor asked.

"Doctor, I am not Zora. I am much younger and I can't see the greater picture like he did. After all he was a Myst.

I saw Edans treating us like garbage, I saw my dear friend, a Humble, dying because the Atruses refused to treat him and I saw Mysts taking my baby sister from my mother's arms.

If they get as powerful as Zora told me, imagine what we will become.

Her Majesty, your friend, made us see what it was like to live like equals.

We decided that was how we wanted things to be from now on." Neutron said.

The Doctor looked at him.

He had seen many people talking like this. Rebels.

Ok, maybe he didn't care much about the universe, Martha's life and Earth.

Why should he? It was none of his concern. He cared about his tribe, and that was enough.

"Lord Neutron of the Gemmin Tribe, will you help me?" the Doctor asked him.

"I have already done it." he said and opened the back door.

There stood another Mercian. A female in a blue suit.

"Fatima?" the Doctor said surprised. He believed she was a part of this conspiracy.

"Oh, Doctor, you are alive! We've heard they killed you. Oh, but she never believed it." Fatima said.

"Me? Dead? That would take a whole army! How is she?" he asked her and Fatima start crying.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. All I wanted was to be an Atrusan. She was so kind with me and I … I betrayed her!" she said.

"Fatima, please calm down and tell me what is going on." The doctor said trying to calm her down.

"Let me." Bush said and touched her head. He looked her in the eyes and said.

"Fatima, there is nothing you should be sorry for. Now you will calm down and tell us what is happening."

The Mercian stopped crying and looked at him charmed.

"How did you do that? Will you tech me?" the doctor said.

"Maybe." Bush smiled.

"Ok, Fatima, tell me where is Martha?" the Time Lord asked her.

"In Atrusan. Last floor." She answered.

"Well, this is expected." He said.

"I didn't want this to happen. Oh, Doctor, I'm sorry." Fatima said.

"What do you mean?" the Doctor asked her.

"I … I …."

"What's going on, Fatima?" the Doctor yelled.

"When her Majesty returned she had a fight with Lord Kuun. Soldiers were guarding the house and I was told to make her take some pills. I knew they made her feel bad but he told me I would leave Atrusan!

She wears a device; it helps her bare the baby. I was in the team that made it. Oh, Doctor, she is in a lot of pain when she wears it.

And I heard…Oh, I heard…." Fatima couldn't continue.

"What?" the Doctor screamed.

"Calm down, Doctor." Neutron said and helped him sit down.

"It is said that once the baby is born Kuun will take it away, in the Myst Lake." The tribe Lord said.

"He will baptize it a Myst?" the Doctor said.

"As soon as this happens, there will be no turning back." Lord neutron added.

"What do you mean?" Bush asked.

"When someone is baptized in that lake, he connects to the spirits of this world. Half spirit, half man he can go in and out of the future, past, the end of the universe. All Mysts baptized in that lake are connected, if you fight one, you fight all of them. If you kill one, you kill all of them." The Doctor explained.

"That's not good." Bush said.

"No, it's not. As soon as Humans build them an Army, Martha will die and our son…

He will no longer be our son." The Doctor said.

Silence fall across the room.

"Ok, then, what are we waiting for? Let's go take them before it's too late." Bush said smiling.

"Fatima, how can we approach Martha's room?" Bush asked her.

Fatima looked at Bush and then the Doctor.

"It's almost impossible. Narayan sent Humbles to be trained as soldiers, now there are hundreds of them in Atrusan." She said.

"Ok, tell us exactly what's going on in that bloody hospital." The Doctor said finding his strength again.

The female Mercian took a deep breath.

_There are ten soldiers guarding the teleportation chambers. If you pass them, there are five of them in each floor except from the last. _

_The last floor has no patients, she is alone. Two soldiers guard the stairs and two guard the elevator. You will find four of them outside her room. _

_The teleportation chamber in her house has been shielded._

_There are security cameras in every floor and a DNA tracker connected to the Eye of Ca'an._

"Ok, this will be fun!" the Doctor said grinning. Fatima looked at him weird.

"Let's make a plan." he said.

* * *

Tamahna was treating a Janmin child on the first floor. She had had an accident while making a sculpture.

It was nice, treating children, she liked it.

Even though she was an Atrus, now, she loved being with her little patients, giving them their medicines and telling them stories.

She used to do that. Her Majesty, the Doctor.

Now she was a prisoner in the last floor, waiting for her child to be born.

She was in the team that treated her. It was nice they could talk once in a while.

She walked down the stairs to the ground floor. _Soldiers! _She hated them. There were never soldiers in Mercia.

She took a look around the room, searching for someone that needed her help most.

And then she saw him. That blue guy the Doctor was treating. She walked towards him but something else caught her attention.

There was a fight in the area of the teleportation chambers. She took a step or two and looked.

Dozens of Humbles were screaming trying to pass, while Gemmins were fighting with the soldiers.

_Let us in! We will die! Give us some medicine! Leave Mercia! Stupid Soldiers!_

They were screaming as more and more were getting out of the chambers.

"Step aside!" someone yelled and the crowed escaped the soldiers running in the ground floor screaming and breaking everything.

Chairs, tables, boards… anything they would find.

They were breaking the walls with their tools while fighting soldiers.

It was like watching a storm. Thunders and lightings everywhere.

"Oh, my god…" she said stepping back, protecting herself.

And then she saw a man in a blue suit and red trainers running away.

"It's him!" she yelled but someone close her mouth.

They lifted her up and took her inside a room. She would fight, kicking and biting but nothing would work.

"Don't scream. Whatever you do, don't scream. Scream and we are dead." The man told her as his partner was leaving her.

She recognized him. He was the Doctor's friend, the one they had treated almost a year ago, and the other one was the Melathron, Bush.

"What do you want? What is the meaning of this?" Tamahna asked.

"We don't have much time; Fatima said you would help us." The Doctor said.

"Fatima?" she asked.

"We need to take Martha out of here." He said.

Fatima looked at him not understanding.

"Her Majesty, the Doctor!" he yelled. He didn't have time for this.

"Will you help us?" Bush asked.

The Mercian nodded.

"Come with me." She said and walked down an empty corridor.

"This is the experimentation area, soldiers are not allowed here. We have less than five minutes. The eye of Ca'an will track you." She said getting inside a lab.

"There is a uniform there put it on." She told the Doctor.

"What about me?" Bush asked.

"I don't think you'll pass for an Atrus." She said mixing a few herbs in a bottle.

"It will be easy to reach the fourth floor like this but we have to be careful. One mistake and a thousand soldiers will flood the Atrusan." She said putting the bottle on fire.

"They keep a good eye on my girl." The Doctor said.

"Come, rub this around your face and hands." She said giving the mixture to the Doctor.

"How long until I'm back to normal?" he asked.

"An hour." She answered.

"What do you mean?" Bush asked.

"Well, this is a mixture of… oh, basically I will transform to a Mercian for an hour. I always wanted to see how I would look as an ape." He said and received a vicious look by Tamahna.

"Sorry." He said.

It didn't take long for the Doctor to become a furry Narayan. His face changed, he grew brown fur and his fingers became big.

"Bush, take my sonic screw driver from my pocket. It won't be easy to handle it this way." He said.

* * *

Atrus Tamahna, Atrus Sm'th and their, seriously ill, patient, reached the elevator for the fifth floor without getting caught.

The elevator door opened and two soldiers blocked the entrance.

"No one is to enter the floor." One of them said pointing a gun at them.

"We are t here to treat her Majesty." Tamahna said.

"No patient is allowed in the floor." The other one said.

"Oh, that's too bad!" Bush said jumping off the bed, kicking them.

"No, bush what are you doing? No, violence!" the Doctor screamed as four more soldiers were approaching, really angry.

"Right, I have your screw driver!" he said and ran to the soldiers putting them to sleep.

"That's not what I meant but…" the Doctor said and joined him.

Two remaining soldiers start firing and the alarm went off.

"Oh, no, now the whole army will gather here!" Tamahna said.

"Then we need to hurry." The Doctor said grinning.

"Hei! Bomb heads! " He screamed and they shot him. Not losing time he grabbed a disc and mirrored the lasers towards them.

"Come on!" he yelled to his partners and got into Martha's room.

"Tamahna! Bush! What is going on? I heard noise outside." Martha said.

"That was more than just noise." The Doctor said.

"Who are you?" Martha asked him.

"Martha, it's me the Doctor don't you recognize me?" he said approaching the bed.

She touched him, looking deep inside his eyes.

"You need to be more careful when you are regenerating." She said.

"Oh, no, it's not permanent, it will pass, come on we need to go." He said and helped her stand.

"No! She can't walk; do you want to kill her?" Tamahna screamed and stopped him.

She pushed a few buttons under the bed and it was set free.

"Ok, let's go now, because our friends are coming." Bush said opening the door.

"Tamahna, you take Martha and follow us." The Doctor said.

* * *

The Doctor was sitting on a chair, next to Martha's bed. She was really exhausted. She went through a lot for one day.

He looked down in his arms and smiled. A baby.

A tiny, innocent and beautiful baby, sleeping in his arms. A baby Time Lord, his son.

His skin was like milk with just a drop of chocolate, his hair brown, just like his, he had his mother's eyes.

The little one grabbed his finger and hold it tight.

How could this baby be destined to start a war? No way.

He was looking at him and everything they had gone through to get him, seemed like a bad dream.

_Lasers everywhere, people screaming, explosions. They ran, Tamahna with Martha __following them. Hundreds of soldiers arrived in the hospital. The Gemmins and the Humbles fought on their side. _

_They fought with their brothers and sisters. He would never forgive himself for that._

_And then he changed back. He became a Time Lord again, looking like a swordsman every time he used his sonic screwdriver._

_Bush was fighting like a lion. _

_Tamahna was protecting Martha and the Gemmins were distracting the soldiers._

_And then it came. A scream. _

"_What happened?" he asked. _

"_Oh, no." Tamahna said. _

"_What's going on?" he asked again while messing with a few cables blowing up a few soldiers. _

"_The waters broke!" she said. _

"_Really?" the Doctor said grinning from ear to ear. _

"_Doctor, that's not the right time for you to be a happy father!" Bush yelled from across the room fighting a soldier. _

"_Right, hold on Martha!" he said and everything happened so fast. _

_He could barely see faces, he could barely hear voices. The whole world was the teleportation chamber. _

_Suddenly someone grabbed him. It was Neutron. _

_He took a look around. Atrusan had become a battlefield. Terror was drawn all around his face. _

"_Go Doctor, run! We will be alright." Lord Neutron said._

_And he ran. He ran away, inside the forest, with a laboring Martha in his arms and hundreds of soldiers on his back. _

_Bush was keeping them away; the remaining Gemmins helped them reach the TARDIS. _

_And they left. Bush made it the last moment; Tamahna dragged him in._

And so their son was born. A blinding light came out of Martha while the baby was coming into this world. He had a burning light all over him. Normally it would take a week for him to become normal, but the light had disappeared within the hour.

He heard his hearts. Two hearts. A big one and a small one. He didn't have only one life, but he wouldn't live as much as a Time Lord was supposed to live, either.

"Part Time Lord, Part Human." He whispered.

He looked at Martha. She was sleeping with a smile on her face.

* * *

Two weeks later, when Martha recovered they returned to London.

The Universal Court of Justice had found out about what had happened in Mercia and the Narayans along with the Mysts were going under trial.

"We can't take the baby to the court." Martha said holding her son.

"I agree but where are we supposed to leave him? We must go to the trial, all of us!" the Doctor said.

"How about my mum?" Martha said.

The Doctor looked at her worried.

"Does your mum know we had a baby?" he asked her.

"No." Martha said.

"Does your mum know you had a baby?" he asked her.

"No." Martha said smiling picturing her mum's reaction.

"Then I believe it's too risky, for me." He said.

"Oh, come on, what can she possibly do to you?" Martha said.

The Doctor looked at her.

"Ok, I'll protect you." She said and they both laughed.

They stood outside Francine's door, together, with their son on Martha's arms.

"Are you ready?" Martha asked ready to ring the bell.

"Yes… no, wait." The Doctor said trying to straighten his hair.

"Stop trying, there is no use. Besides I like it that way." She said and ruffled his hair.

"Mum, stop worrying!" Tish yelled opening the door.

"Tish!" Both Martha and the Doctor said.

"Martha! Doctor! Baby!" Tish said shocked.

"Tish, is someone on the door?" Francine's voice was heard from the inside.

"Oh, I don't know what to say." The girl said stepping aside, giving her place to her mother.

"Martha!" Francine said smiling seeing her daughter's face as she was approaching the door.

Then, she froze. She stood there, perfectly steel, not making a move.

"Mum? Mum, are you ok?" Martha asked worried but the old woman did not reply.

"Let me." The Doctor said getting his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket.

He stepped in and pointed to Francine's face.

"Tell me you have nothing to do with this!" Martha's mother yelled slapping the Doctor really hard.

"Every time!" he said touching his face.

"Mum, what are you doing?" Martha yelled making the baby cry.

"ssss." She whispered to her baby.

The Doctor stood next to her and caressed the baby's head, calming him down.

"May we come in?" Martha asked.

The couple along with Francine and Tish sit in the living room.

"So, you have a child…" Francine said but the Doctor interrupted her.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" he said taking the baby in his arms.

"… With him." She finished making the Doctor's face fall.

"Mum!" Martha said.

"Why didn't you tell me anything?" she asked.

"Things were a little bit… complicated." Martha said looking the Doctor.

"What complicated means exactly?" Francine said looking at him severely.

"It would be better if you didn't know." Martha said.

"Better for whom?" she asked.

"For all of us." The Doctor said playing with his son.

"Come on, mum, you should be happy. Martha has a family." Tish said.

"With a man that might leave and never come back? Like he did before?" Francine said.

The Doctor gave the baby to Martha and kneeled before Francine.

"Mrs. Jones, I know you don't have a good opinion about me, even though after saving the world a couple of hundreds of times I thought this would have changed…"

"Doctor!" Martha said.

"Ok, I know you don't like me and that I've made some mistakes, but it just took me too long to understand it. Martha and this child are my life and if you don't believe it then slap me. Right here, on the face. Come on." He said.

Francine didn't move.

"Do you love her?" she asked him.

"The Doctor looked at Martha.

"With both my hearts." He said smiling.

"Hearts?" Tish said surprised.

"He got confused, come on Doctor, get up." Martha said.

"Do you want to hold him?" Martha said giving the baby to her mother.

As soon as Francine took hold of him, the small baby opened his eyes and smiled at her.

"Oh my god, he has your eyes." She told Martha.

"Beautiful, isn't he?" the Doctor said grinning goofily.

Martha looked at him. He was so excited.

"What's his name?" Tish asked.

"John." Martha said and the Doctor smiled.

"Well, he is going to choose his own name one day." He whispered in her ear.

"It suits him." Martha's mother said.

"Mum, we were wondering if you could keep him, for a while." Martha said.

"Excuse me?" she replied.

"We have to go somewhere, a trial, it's very important and we can't take him with us." The Doctor explained.

"A trial?" Francine asked.

"Classified." Martha said. It was the only word that would keep her mother away.

"When will you be back?" she asked them.

Martha looked at the Doctor.

"Midnight." He said.

Martha approached the baby and kissed him.

"Oh, I don't believe I'm leaving you. Mommy and daddy will be back before you know it." Martha gave Tish a bag.

"Everything you need is in here. He eats every three hours, two bottles of milk." She said.

"Two?" Tish said surprised.

"He gets very hungry." Martha said.

"If he starts crying sing a song, it calms him down." She added.

The Doctor approached and put his finger in John's hand.

"I'm still fascinated every time it happens!" he said grinning.

Mrs. Jones looked at him.

"Right, uhm, if his eyes turn gold, don't worry it's normal. If he starts to glow, don't be surprised to see another baby a few moments later." He said and joined Martha.

"What?" Francine said terrified.

"He can do that?" Martha asked him.

"Oh, yes, he's exploring the world." The Doctor said grinning goofily.

Martha looked at her mother. "Don't worry mum, everything will be alright." She said and they disappeared behind the door.

* * *

And so, the adventure ended and justice prevailed. The eyes of Mercia, Ca'an and Albatron were destroyed.

The Lords that participated were sentenced to life prison and considering most Mercians died at 2000 years old, it was a lot of time.

The power of prophecies was taken from the Mysts and the Tribes of the Dark came into the light.

Fatima and Tamahna became headmasters of Atrusan helping the planet in its new days.

There was only one thing left for Doctor and Martha to do.

To help Bush return home.

TARDIS materialized in a forest in Melathron.

"So, Bush, here we are, Melathron." The Doctor said.

"Thank you, for everything." He said approaching the door.

"No, thank you. If it wasn't for you and your story I wouldn't have this." The Doctor said hugging Martha.

"Story? What Story?" Martha asked.

"Oh, a beautiful story about a god and a mortal, which, to be honest I hadn't heard." The Doctor said.

"There is something you haven't heard". Martha said.

"Well," Bush said opening the door.

"Let's say I am ahead of my time." He said and stepped out.

The Doctor and Martha followed him.

A strong light appeared out of nowhere and a blue box materialized behind him.

"I should have known. You are not from this world." The Doctor said.

"When you said I was Bush, you were right, but you didn't say which one. I am Bush Melathron the 13th, and I am from the future." He said as the door of the blue police box behind him opened.

"Hardly, my friend. Now we are from a parallel world." A voice was heard and a young man, around 25 years old, appeared.

He was tall and thin with brown messy hair. He wore an old suit, of 1930's.

.

He approached them, locking his eyes on Martha.

The Doctor scanned him. It wasn't him; no it was not one of his regenerated selves.

This meant only one thing.

"Hello, I'm the Professor." He said shaking his hand.

"Unbelievable." The Doctor said grinning.

"Another Time Lord?" Martha wondered.

The young man took her hand.

"You are exactly as he had described you." He said.

Martha looked at him deep in the eyes.

"John?" she asked. "No one has called me this way for years." The young man replied.

It was their son.

"I never met, my mother. She died trying to get me back from the Mercians. I barely knew my father, when he finally rescued me." He said looking at the Doctor.

"We come from a destroyed world. The Mercians destroyed everything to build their empire. That's why the Professor sent me here. To change the future." Bush said.

"But you created a parallel universe." The Doctor said.

"I knew that, but at least I saved one world. I fought for Mercia for many years until you took me. I changed but no matter how hard I try I can't undo what I've done." The Professor said.

"You are one, magnificent creature. Child of true love you can do no harm. My John became a Professor to teach the world how to live in peace." Martha said and hugged him.

"Oh, mother." He said hugging her back.

"I'm sure you'll do a better job than us, kid." The Doctor said.

"You always say that. You used to tell me that I can be the professor but as long as I keep John inside me I will always be a better man." The young man said.

"Really? Wise words." The Doctor said.

"You became a little wise when you reached 1300." The Professor said making his parents laugh.

"May I hug you?" he asked and hugged them both.

"I love you." He said.

"We love you too." Martha and the Doctor said. "We are very proud of you." Martha said.

The young man opened the door of the TARDIS and waved one last time.

"So I suppose destiny doesn't get to choose you." The Doctor said.

"No, you choose your destiny." Martha said.

The Doctor nodded.

"How about some ice cream next to the Themes? John's first walk?" the Doctor asked Martha as they were getting in the TARDIS.

"I would loved to." She said kissing him softly on his lips.

* * *

_The end. _

_If you liked it, please review!_


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